Atrianna
by Nienna Carnesir
Summary: Puck's daughter, Brooklyn's mate...druids, King Oberon known as Grandpa Oby...lol...and Goliath can't refuse Elisa what with the fact that Puck's daughter is part Fey, Gargoyle AND human staring him in the face. Read and find out more!
1. Chapter 1

"Father, really I'm fine," Tira protested. Owen, also known as Puck, yes the mischievous little elf from the Shakespeare's fable is real and he does have a daughter, shook his head. He straightened his expensive suit and smoothed back his blond hair, then made sure his glasses were firmly set on his nose. "Today you need to stay in bed. You've been up for the past two nights AND days working on these things," he made a vague gesture to the wrapped gift boxes next to Tira's bedroom door, "and I refuse to have you go running around exhausting yourself to the point where you will pass out." He looked at her pointedly, as if saying more shouldn't be necessary. Tira sighed and let her shoulders droop in defeat, "I let myself use up all my energy and magic ONCE and I never hear the end of it." She shuffled back into her room, dressed in pale lavender shorts and tank p.j.'s with a silver robe hanging on her shoulders and giant fuzzy silver slippers engulfing her feet. It actually looked as if she was just an average teen. Then again Puck disguised himself rather well too, he didn't look like a sensible businessman when in his 'normal' form and the same went for his daughter.

She looked like a teen most of the time, but her most basic and original form was that of a gargoyle. She had wings, tail, pointed ears and fangs. Her coloring was also MUCH different, her skin normally a light gray color, the insides of her wings and hair were a rich purple color that matched the base color of her eyes. Her eyes were oval and slanted the purple color rimmed in a gray that was almost black and then freckles of silver sparked from around the pupil. Ever since she had come back into his life, after centuries of being frozen in sleep and time far beyond his reach, she had constantly reminded him of her mother. Her mother, Maria, was the one person who he had ever truly cared for. Tira had inherited her mother's eyes and even when she was human she still had those otherworldly eyes. When she shot a glare at him over her shoulder, he would have sworn it was his beloved Maria who stood before him. The similarity between Tira's face and his own 'normal' one was what betrayed the illusion and reminded him that Maria wasn't there and would never be again.

Tira never changed her face, besides the coloring when she went into her gargoyle form, and the only way she changed to look more human was by rounding her ears to look human instead of pointed fey. Puck had to remind himself that Maria had died thousands of years ago and would remain dead. Except for the little part that still lived inside Tira's and his own heart, she was no more. She had been the first and last of the Irish clan of gargoyles before Oberon, technically Tira's grandfather and Puck's sire, was tricked by his wife Titianna to destroy them all while they slept as stone during the day. Puck could never forgive them and was utterly grateful to the gargoyles, his daughter, and the Xanatos's for all they had done to keep Puck and young Alex Xanatos from being taken by Oberon and Titianna. It was officially his job to teach Alex magic, but he also felt he needed to be a father for Tira. Even if she had already grown up, she hadn't had an easy life on the street of New York. A homeless woman of druid blood had broken the spell about eighteen years ago, adopting the confused four-year-old without question. Thus, the reason for his guilt and need to repent.

Turning his thoughts back to the present he found Tira was looking at him with a worried expression, a hand on both sides of his face. When did she move? Puck thought. "Dad, can you hear me?" She asked. He pulled out of her hold and nodded, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes. "Yes, I was just wondering in my thoughts." With a soft white glow Owen changed forms and Puck stood before her in all his original splendor, looking a little tired but no worse for wear. She hugged him and didn't let go. "Maybe YOU are the one who needs to sleep a little. Did I remind you of mom again?" Puck's eyes widened, and he pulled away to hold her by the shoulders at arms length, "What?" Tira rolled her eyes, "I know I remind you of mom. I accidentally messed up a potion a couple days ago and it made me a temporary telepath, so I heard you think of mom when you saw some of my facial expressions." Puck chuckled and patted her head, "That's my girl." When Tira just glared at him, he merely shrugged and picked up the gift boxes. "I'll take these and give them to the Clan when they wake up, but YOU need to stay in bed." Tira sighed, "Fine. On all accounts, fine." Puck turned away, "Your eyes are like hers whenever you give a deep felt expression," and used a teleporting spell to the balcony where the gargoyles slept during the day, before she could reply or make him tell her of Maria. He couldn't face that issue yet.

With another flash he was back to his Owen disguise and waiting a safe distance away from the gargoyle statues as the sun started below the horizon. Cracks spread across the surface of the stone and with a roar each broke free from their shells, the younger ones yawning and stretching, showering the area just before Owen with bits of stone shards. "Good evening, I have gifts for each of you from Tira. She wished to give them to you herself, but is on the point of exhaustion and has been bound to bed."

Each package was color coordinated to the gargoyle it was meant for, but only one had a fancy bow on it. He handed the lavender and sliver package with the bow to Angela, then the blue to Broadway, green to Lex, Violet to Goliath, dusty gold to Hudson, and finally the red to Brooklyn. He made sure to give Brooklyn his last, so that he was facing the young male gargoyle when he said, "I must request of you all to not call on her this evening, but to enjoy her gifts none the less." Brooklyn suppressed a glare and looked curiously at the box before opening it. "The boxes have spells on them to make them deeper than they truly are," Owen said, "So there should be a few in there." "A few what?" Goliath asked. "Clothes! " Angela cried out happily as she pulled out a soft sea green dress from her box. "This is wonderful! I knew she had been working on designing outfits for us, to help make humans more acceptable of us, but I had no idea she had gone so far!" They quickly opened their boxes and peered inside. Owen held the last object he had behind his back, waiting for the dog-like gargoyle to come sniffing before presenting the gift he had for it. Bronx ran around happily as the clothes were examined, but when he found they had nothing for him came wandering to the source of it all as Owen had hoped. Owen held out a collar with a shinny nametag imbedded with a dark blue gemstone in the O of the gargoyle's name that was engraved on it. Bronx slipped his head inside it and allowed Owen to fasten it around his neck before giving the stiff man a good lick up one side of his face and then running off to show the others of his gift.

"There are multiple rooms with mirrors you all can change in," Owen whipped the spit from his face with a handkerchief he fished from his pocket. Angela immediately grabbed all the garments she had pulled out of her box and dashed inside in search of a room to try all her new found cloths on. Broadway and Lex weren't too far behind her, while Goliath and Hudson exchanged comments about their clothing and the topic of the human's acceptance.

When Owen was otherwise preoccupied with wiping Bronx's spit off, Brooklyn took the opportunity to jump off the balcony to glide to a nearby window ledge before thoroughly examining what lay inside his box. A leather jacket, zippers that let his wings out in the back, as well as little zippers on the pockets and the front, it had a large collar and soft lining. There were modified jeans as well as a modified shirt with one of his favorite band names on the front. He guessed there were probably going to be a few of both those items and proceeded to try the jacket on. It fit perfectly. The encounter he had with Tira a couple nights ago had been on his mind, specially since he hadn't really seen or talked to her since then. He had begun to think that maybe she had changed her mind on what they had talked about, but all the clothes proved his doubts wrong.

About two nights ago Tira had found him in the library, alone, and had him stand still so she could take his measurements. Things had gone well enough at first, even when she had taken his leg measurements, but when she tried to take the measurement of the base of his tail he had bulked and jumped away.

"Tira You can't just do that!" Brooklyn had said indignantly, as Tira put her hands on her hips. "Why not?" He had opened his mouth to answer and found he didn't really have one to give her, besides the fact that it was a little too close for comfort then closed his mouth and shook his head. Tira gave a little snarl of frustration. "Angela didn't care if I took her tail measurement. Why are you boys being so difficult?" She jumped forward and past him, trying to wrap the measuring tape around his tail before he could pull away. But with a flap of his wings, for an extra boost of speed, Brooklyn was able to dodge her attempt. If looks could kill, he would have keeled over right there. He was guessing that such a mood was mostly likely the work of Hudson, who was the only one who could get under her skin and make her so upset. No one really knew why, but those two would start at it and either they would both leave the argument grumpy or with her running away in tears. The second had only happened on a few occasions and both times she had run immediately to him. He was glad that she would turn to him for comfort but still didn't like that she had gotten to the point where she needed it. Brooklyn didn't know what to make of such behavior exactly, but had decided to not read into it and merely hold her and comfort her as best as he could. Each time she had fallen asleep in his arms, so he had the chance to hold her without drawing her attention to his own feelings with the likely result of driving her away. Sadly he would always forget to watch for the sun and end up sitting there with her until it was too late and would only have time to look up before the sun rose and turned him to stone. He didn't know what to do or say afterwards because she had always been gone by the time he woke, so again he just didn't 'go there'.

"Lex and Goliath took their own measurements and when Broadway wouldn't let me within five feet of him with a tape measure I got Angela to do it for me. And of course I ended up using magic to get Hudson's measurements," She had the humility to look pained and guilty at that, making him smile. "Well I won't let you take my tail measurement, so just base it on Broadway's or Goliath's okay?" She smiled back at him, completely open and warm, then said "No." Then the dance began. She darted and floated around the room after him as he dodged her attempts and sped away from her, putting things between them to help ward her off. After a little of this they were both laughing, having fun. Of course he forgot what they were doing and let down his guard, but she was ready to swoop in just as soon as he did. At the last minute he was able to grab her, but was at such an awkward position that he toppled over and they rolled a couple times before stopping with him lying on top of her. She was still laughing softly, but he had stopped smiling with suddenly being so close to her.

When Tira realized he wasn't laughing and was actually looking a little upset she took his face in her hands and made him make eye contact with her. "What's wrong? I didn't get your tale." Then her eyes got wide and she looked to both sides of them, "Are you hurt? Did something get you when we rolled?" He didn't know how to feel then. She was concerned for him and they were both so close, her legs wrapped up in his and her chest pressed against his, it was just an overload of senses for him. Then the doubtful thoughts began surfacing and he started to lift himself up when she grabbed him around the neck, stopping his ascension. "What's wrong Brooklyn?" Her eyes were so worried he didn't know what to say, he definitely couldn't tell her what was wrong. One thing, nothing was really WRONG. He just had feelings for her that he couldn't pursue or express. That was bad, but being so close to her physically and not be able to say or do anything was pure torture.

"I just…I'm fine. Why do you think something's wrong? Is my face that scary?" He didn't mean to add that last bit and mentally kicked himself for it. She looked a little hurt, but more or less still worried. "You seemed like you were upset by something," she started to scoot out from under him. "And you KNOW I don't think your scary Brooklyn." He started to get up as well, but just as he had gotten to a sitting position she stopped him and got up right in his face. Her expression was curious and…something else that he knew but couldn't place. Something familiar. "In fact," she said, "I find you are the complete opposite of scary." He felt the hope bloom in his heart and stomped on it as hard as he could. "You mean cute and fluffy like a little rabbit? I find that a little hard to bel " he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. She kissed him, right then and there. Soft and quick, but definitely a kiss with meaning behind it. Not that I know, Brooklyn thought in a slight daze, beak's always thrown girls off. "I don't find you scary, or bunny cute. You're actually rather appealing to me."

With a mischievous grin she stood up and straightened her clothes. He stood up as well, if a little dazed, trying to focus his thoughts into something coherent. Just as he was about to say something, he felt a little squeeze at the base of his tale and whipped around to see a tape measure floating behind him. Anger flared up in him and he turned to demand if the kiss had been just a distraction to get his measurements, but when he had completely turned around she was right in front of him. She took his face in her hands and kissed him again. This time she lingered a little longer, but was just as soft. He actually had time to put a hand on hers and another on her hip before she pulled away enough to say, "I figured since you were completely dumb founded by my actions I'd take advantage. Not the other way around okay?" He nodded and placed the hand that was on hers on the back of her head, pulling her back to him and resumed kissing her. Something in her relaxed when he did this. For some reason he felt the same thing happen to him. It was as if they had liked each other and had found that their hopes for the other to feel the same had lifted a weight from their shoulders.

However, after a little more intense kissing she pulled away and took a few steps back. "What?" He asked. It was all that his mind would allow, his senses were completely overwhelmed and his head made him feel like he was floating in cotton. She smiled ruefully and shook her head. "I want you to think about this for a while. Don't come looking for me, or anything, for a while. You need to make sure this is what you want." Brooklyn frowned and processed what she said, his mind clearing a little. "What? Wait. No. Tira…" She jumped forward and placed her hands over his beak to stop him from talking, not really closing his mouth by force but with the mere presence of her hands. "Stop. Don't try and figure it out all at once. You need to remember that I'm not a gargoyle. Can you deal with that and what that consists of? Can you tell your Clan without any kind of negative feeling?" She gave a small smile, "Think on it. You'll know when to come see me."

What he didn't know, and still didn't, was that she was a gargoyle as well. She just needed the assurances that he loved her for her. If she showed him that she was a female gargoyle, he'd be hot all over the idea. If she continued playing the half human and half elf girl, he might not be so inclined to the same idea. Again, she may have been thinking this but he had no idea.

Placing the leather jacket back into the box he sat and looked at it for a little bit before sighing and putting the lid back on. "I'm not sure if this is what you meant Tira, but I know what I feel and what I want to do. So hopefully I'm right." Brooklyn opened the window behind him and walked down the hall it opened into.

Slipping into the first room he found empty and with a lock on the door, he changed into the first set of clothing from the box. He put his usual clothing, or what Tira calls 'a bare bit of a loincloth', into the box and left the room, immediately heading for Tira's room with the box tucked under his arm. He was just down the hall from her door when Owen turned the corner on the right of him and stopped right in front of Brooklyn. "May I inquire as to where you might be headed?" Owen asked, narrowing his eyes at the young gargoyle, obviously noting the style of the clothing. "He's probably coming to see me," a voice said from behind Owen. They turned to see Tira standing in a lavender tank and shorts with the same fluffy silver slippers and a silver robe, holding what looked like a mug of hot cocoa and marshmallows. She cocked an eyebrow at them and took a sip from her mug, obviously waiting for them to say something.

"You're supposed to be in bed," Owen said with a slight accusing tone to his voice. She shrugged a shoulder. "I didn't make any promises," at the outraged expression on Owen's face she quickly added, "but I AM resting dad. I just felt like something warm and sweet." She lifted the cup, evidence to her statement and sweet tooth. "Plus, if I sleep tonight, then I won't sleep later in the day and be up for tomorrow night." Owen sighed and left the two alone as he rounded the corner further down the hall. Tira grinned at Brooklyn, but despite the usual warmth and glow that came from such a smile he did notice the dark bruise like marks under her eyes. She was totally exhausted and even shuffled a little when she started down the hall. "Maybe you SHOULD sleep. You could always sleep tonight AND tomorrow," Brooklyn suggested. She shook her head and gave him a halfhearted glare. "I only need tomorrow. And I wanted to see the fruits of my labor." They both smiled and just as she started to go past him he swooped her up into his arms, careful of her mug, and started towards her room. She didn't really protest besides a startled noise when he picked her up, but that might have been for her mug of cocoa.

After a couple steps she rested her head on his chest and relaxed, closing her eyes. "Thanks," she said softly. He didn't answer, but just kept walking to her room. When he saw all the material and sewing things strewn across her room he gave an inward sigh. She HAD spent the past couple days making outfits for them. For me, he thought happily and a bit guiltily.

Brooklyn picked his way across the mess to her bed and set her down, gazing at the dark circles under her eyes. Those little marks struck a cord in his heart and before he realized it, he was sitting on the bed next to her, brushing the hair from her face and kissing her forehead softly. She peeked up at him with one eye. "I almost forgot about that, what with the sleep haze. I'm sorry," she said softly, the last almost a whisper. "Why are you sorry?" He asked, matching her quiet tone. She looked past him with a glare and started to lift her hand but stopped about an inch from her side and looked at him pleadingly. "Can you shut the door Brooklyn? I know my father is out there eavesdropping and my barrier spells only work when the door is closed." Brooklyn nodded and went back to the door. He peeked out and saw Owen standing at the end of the hall, his arms crossed and a glare set on the door. Before Owen could say anything Brooklyn shut the door and locked it, just for good measure. Owen sighed and walked towards the elevator. "You'd better not break her heart, gargoyle. Or you'll have to answer to Puck, and I'm not near as good humored as I usually am when it comes to protecting my daughter," Owen mumbled as he pressed the number of the floor he wanted. Brooklyn looked back at he bed and saw that Tira had set the cup down on the little table next to the bed. She looked like she was asleep. Should I just leave? He thought and looked back at the closed door.

"Don't even think about leaving, mister. I told you we'd talk when you'd had time to think. It's been plenty of time and I'm perfectly capable of carrying on a conversation." He looked back at her and saw that her eyes were open and her mouth curved slightly in a half smile. She patted the spot he had been sitting in before, "Come on, tell me what conclusions you've come to."

He stepped back over the mess, almost tripping this time. Probably because I'm nervous about talking to her, He thought. I shouldn't be, since she feels the same way. He sat down next to her, but refrained from touching her this time. After a few seconds of silence she laughed, "Are you going to tell me or what?" He could see the worry and fear of what his answer may be and it gave him his voice. "I would, but with you talking I don't have time to pick which way I want to say it." She raised an eyebrow in silent question. He smiled, "Since I can't seem to get enough time to TELL you, how bout I show you instead?" Brooklyn bent down over her and kissed her softly, keeping himself raised by his left arm and used his right hand to gently cradle her cheek, stroking it softly with his thumb. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed a hand against his shoulder, trying to pull him closer.

Before she could, he sat up, pulling away from her to takeoff the jacket. He put the jacket on the headboard and stood up to walk around to the other side of the bed and lay down next to her, pulling her up against him. She cuddled against his chest, carefully tossing her slippers off over the side of the bed. She reached up with one hand and touched the back of his neck. Her hand gently rubbed exactly where tension built up from holding his head and beak up. "Why are your muscles all knotted up here?" She asked. "When did you figure out they were knotted?" He countered. She gave a small laughed and he felt warmth spread from her hand into his neck and the muscles eased, "When I wrapped my arms around your neck two days ago."

"You shouldn't use magic when you're this tired," He rubbed her back and knew she was waiting for an answer, he just didn't know how to tell her without making it sound like he was complaining. "It gets a little knotted during the night because of the weight of my-," He couldn't bring himself to finish and sighed in defeat, pulling her even closer to him. She smells like she's been sitting in a garden full of blooming flowers, he thought happily. "Your beak, that's what I heard Broadway call it so I hope that's right, weighs your head down a bit and keeping it up makes a strain on the muscles in your neck." He nodded, smiling at her comment on Broadway. "Yes, we call it a beak. What else would you call it? And yeah, that's why I have a little muscle knot there. Did you use a spell to stop it and keep it from starting again?" He reached back and rubbed his neck. Tira scooted back a little so she could see his face, "Yeah, I did. Is it not working?" He kissed her nose, "No. It's working."

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully and cuddled back up against his chest. "I guess this means you don't have a problem with me being part human and that you don't have a problem telling the rest of the Clan?" "Nope. I don't have a problem with any of it. I've been wanting to tell you how I've felt for a very long time." She wiggled a little, slipping a leg in between his and another over the leg that covered hers, entangling them. He decided to make it a little more interesting and slipped his tale into the crisscross of legs, as if to tie them together. She laughed, but it sounded almost like a giggle. He didn't think he had ever heard her giggle before, so wasn't completely sure. She reached around and hugged his chest to her, while tucking the other arm somewhere under the pillows. He reached under the pillows and found her hand, then he folded his free wing around them, holding her in every way he could in such a position.

They stayed cuddled against each other for a long while. There were a couple soft knocks once or twice, but she asked them to come back another time that she was resting rather well at the moment. He wondered what they would make of that statement, but the thought was fleeting as he was once again engulfed by the feel and smell of her, the very sensation of having her so close intoxicating to him.

It was a while after that, that he realized how far such a situation could be taken and wondered about that. Would and could they ever reach such steps? "Brooklyn, do you know how humans mate?" If he had been drinking something it would have squirted out his nose right at that moment. His mind reeled at how insanely close it matched his thoughts. "Yeah. It's not very different from how gargoyles do, if that is what you were wondering." He felt her nod against his chest, and silently wondered if she had read his mind magickally, or something. "I wasn't sure. What's different?" He couldn't stop the blush from coloring his cheeks or the reaction his body was starting without his permission. Fortunately his tail blocked her from that certain area of his body. "Not much, but with wings and claws you have to be careful." He leaned back to see her smiling, then smiled himself. "Why do you ask?"

She squirmed a little, "Well, you know. I was curious because, well to be blunt I wanted to know because we're in bed together and it just crossed my mind that things could go in THAT direction." At least she's not reading my mind, he thought, and we're on the same page so now I just have to find out… "Do you WANT to go in that direction Tira?" She became very still and he was pretty sure she wasn't breathing, he couldn't hear the soft inhale and exhale of her breath and the press of her chest had stopped. Then he felt a little puff of air and felt her chest press against his as she exhaled in a sigh. "Maybe, yeah. No. Yes…maybe," she stammered. He laughed, "That last one your definite answer?" "For right now. I'm not sure if we SHOULD, you know? What about when the sun comes up? That's going to suck. You'll be a darned statue just after."

He tossed those ideas around a bit in his head. He hadn't thought about how she might feel about him not being able to talk with her after sunrise. She would DEFINITELY want him awake. "How much of your magic will you have after the day?" He asked. "I'll be as good as new as long as I sleep solid for a while." "Good. Go to sleep now and stay asleep until late tomorrow and we'll see if you can cast one of those daytime spells for me to stick around after sunrise. Okay?" She sat up suddenly, startling him enough that he tried to pull himself out of her way all at once, causing him to fall off the bed.

"Oops," he heard her say and saw her peek over the edge of he bed. "Sorry babe." He tilted his head to the side. "What did you call me?" Her eyes got wide. "I'm sorry! I didn't even think, I just said it." She blushed and ducked back onto the bed, out of his line of vision. He sat up and tried to see her face, but she had it thoroughly buried in pillow. "I don't mind. In fact I thought it was cute the way you said it." He took a bit of her hair in his hand and gave it a soft tug. She swatted halfheartedly at his hand and sat up enough to look at him. She had tears on the edge of her eyes. "I'm sorry Brooklyn. I'm just exhausted. This is all overwhelming with me at such a tired state." "Stop apologizing," he stood and sat so that his back was against the headboard wrapping his wings around his shoulders like a cloak, then pulled her into his lap and arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head in the dip of his neck, and let him wrap a blanket around her. "The sun's coming up soon. Do you want me to stay in here?" He asked. "It's coming up?" Her head jerked up and she looked out her window. "We spent the whole night just laying around?" Then she did the oddest thing, she jumped up from his hold and stood in the middle of the mess and yelled, "DAD!" What was really surprising is that with a whirl of wind Puck, in all his original splendor, was standing before her. "What? Did he do something? I'll turn him in a bug and squish him!" Puck stated, glaring at the gargoyle. Tira flicked her father's nose. "Hello! No! I love him and he loves me. Okay?" Puck looked from her to the Brooklyn and back again. Brooklyn hadn't thought anything else would surprise him but that little declaration sure did. She loved him. LOVED. And yes, he always knew that he loved her, but SHE knew that and returned his feelings. He couldn't stop the dopey grin from spreading across his face with the feeling of utter bliss that had engulfed him. "All right," Puck said warily. "And why did you call me? It wasn't a picnic to barge through those barriers you've got here, so make it good." Tira glared at her father until he shrugged and started to float with his legs crossed, his way of dismissing things.

She put her hands on her hips. "I want you to do that spell you cast on Demona on Brooklyn. Just for a couple days." Tira turned back to Brooklyn. "Is that okay?" Brooklyn nodded. "Yes. If that's what you want. It'll still let me be a gargoyle, so I'm okay with it." She grinned, "And it's not permanent, so if you don't want to continue after a couple of days you won't have to." He nodded and she turned back to her father. "So?" She asked. Puck looked thoroughly dumb founded. "You're serious Atrianna? You want this?" She groaned at the mention of her full name, but nodded. "That's what WE want," Brooklyn chimed in, standing and walking over to stand next to Tira while Puck had tried to wrap his mind around it all. She glanced at him and he took her hand, smiling. "Oh all right, but it won't be the same spell. I'll do this one with a time limit like you want."

Puck's eyes started to glow, wind without a source blew around Tira's room. "Young beast at night your truth with fly but during the day you'll live a lie, a human you'll be while the sun's out but when the moon rises your time will be out, back to the life you were born but for now I give you a gift of a second form, no more stone will you have to break and now be faced with this decision to make."

With that Brooklyn started to glow a little and Tira looked out the window to see the sun was rising. Brooklyn, still glowing, slumped against Tira with a groan. He shook a little while his wings and tail were transforming but was able to stand on his own after that, sort of. He was a little wobbly without his tail and Tira had to keep a hold of his arm. In fact Tira was almost dragged down with Brooklyn and Puck had to put them both on the bed with magic.

"Will you two be okay? I'm sorry I mustn't have worded it right, you might feel a little sea sick every time you change." That's what I was hoping for, Puck thought. Then maybe you'd stop wanting to change and leave my daughter alone. Tira glared at her father. "I read that thought Dad," she said angrily. "There's enough of a magick surge that I get a little tipsy with it afterwards. Makes me able to read the sources' mind and whatnot," she explained to Brooklyn. Puck arched an eyebrow, "You're such an insolent daughter." Then he grinned and zipped over to kiss her on the head, "That's what makes you so wonderful though. I'm off kids! You'd both better sleep today! You can have fun and games tonight and tomorrow." He floated towards the door, casting a quick clean up spell on the things strewn across her room. "Sweet dreams," and then he threw some dust at the pair and disappeared through the door.

"Crud," Tira muttered as she crawled further up on the bed and under the covers. Brooklyn was touching his nose and lips when he turned to her. "What?" She moaned and gave him an apologetic smile, "That was sleep sand he threw at us. You'd better get in bed. We'll be out solid all morning and probably most of the afternoon." Brooklyn stopped inspecting his face and did notice the sudden sleepy feeling. "Fine with me," he said with a grin, "as long as I get to share a bed with you I'm happy." He crawled under the covers of the bed and pulled her back up against him, spooning her, and wrapped his arms around her. She held on to his arms and rested her head back against him. "Dream sweet, love," he whispered to her. She made a little murmur sound and they both fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Brooklyn woke to the sound of his stomach growling. There was a masculine looking human hand on the pillow next to him and it took him a moment of sleepy thoughts to realize it was his own hand. He remembered Puck and his spell, then went back further in memory and remembered spending the night cuddled up with Tira. Thinking of Tira he looked around for her. She wasn't in the bed, just rumpled sheets and blankets where her sleeping form should have been. He heard a soft whisper of breathing and rolled over. Looking at the ceiling in disbelief, as he watched Tira mindlessly sleeping on the ceiling curled up in a very tattered looking blanket.

"She does that when she's recovering from abuse of her magic and energy. She's totally oblivious to everything." Brooklyn sat up quickly and spotted Owen leaning on the doorframe, just outside the room. "You can't come in?" Brooklyn asked. Owen shook his head, but never looked away from his daughter. "She isn't floating, but has actually reversed gravity for HER and that blanket so that she is laying on the ceiling as if it were the floor."

Owen shook his head again and took off his glasses to clean them on a new handkerchief that he retrieved from his pocket. Brooklyn had noticed that with each suit Owen owned he had a handkerchief that went with it. Xanatos did similar matching things with his outfits. Looking at his own rumpled, sleep wrinkled clothes he wondered if he should try and dress like that. If she wanted me to dress like them she would have given me different clothes, he thought. She likes me the way I am and I just happen to like this kind of look. With a curt nod to himself, Brooklyn got up and started to rummage in the gift box holding his clothes.

"There's no need for that," Owen said. "Those are clothes made for your gargoyle form. I took the liberty of buying you some things according to the style of your current outfits."

He reached behind the wall of the doorframe and brought forth a large shopping bag. "The bottom drawer to that dresser on your right is always empty, she keeps it for emergency guests or for magical uses. Put the ones you won't be wearing in there and the door on your left there will take you to the bathroom." Owen set the bag just outside the door, turned on his heal and headed down the hall.

Brooklyn watched the man to make sure he actually left before grabbing the bag and closing the door. He hesitated but finally decided to lock the door, wondering if the other had opened the door last night or just then, before he walked over to the dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Owen was right, the drawer was empty. Brooklyn tried to fold the clothes as neatly as he could, not used to such thing, set a dark red shirt and a faded pare of jeans on top of the dresser. He closed the drawer, thought about the strange little black pair of boxers and opened it back up. The clothes were all organized and separated into clean, tidy rows.

"It's sad that I'm not more surprised than I am," Brooklyn muttered to himself and grabbed the black boxers. After a quick shower and brush of his teeth, with the packaged toothbrush he found on the counter when he stepped out of the shower stall, he dressed in his new clothes and went to the kitchen.

He had to stop the grumbling in his stomach before it tried to eat itself. He chuckled at his ridiculous thought and stopped in mid stride when he came next to a window. The sunlight gleamed off the windows of the buildings below, surrounding the building beneath the castle.

The brilliance of the sun entranced him so completely that he didn't hear Fox come up next to him or ask him who he was or even when she tried to tap him on the shoulder. Finally he snapped out of it when she waved her hand in front of his face and said loudly in his ear, "Hello ?"

"What? Fox! What's up?" Fox's face was all shock as she looked at him, stepping back a bit in surprise. "Brooklyn ? You're...why are you?" She stopped and ran a hand through her hair with an smirk. "Did you make Puck mad or something?" Then her eyes got very wide as an idea formed in her head. "Alex didn't do this did he? I swear I've got to somehow get it through to him that changing people is bad!"

Brooklyn held up his hands, "No, Fox. It wasn't Alex. And Puck, or Owen, whatever you want to call him," She nodded and made a gesture to have him continue. "Tira asked, well she and I asked him to do this. It's a trial run to see if I want to spend the days human." Fox's expression was unreadable to him, but the slight cock of her head indicated that she was curious about something.

Probably wondering about the 'Tira and me' part, he thought with an inward sigh at the idea of having to explain the whole thing to this woman. "So you and Tira finally came clean with each other and are working things out. That's good." She patted him on the shoulder and started down the hall, in the opposite direction he was going in.

He couldn't help but gape at her retreating figure.

"Did everyone know we liked each other but us?" He wondered aloud to himself and slowly made his way back to the kitchen.

He tried to recall all the past memories of Tira he had, searching for signs of her feelings toward him. What hadn't been obvious THEN seemed ridiculously apparent now that he mulled them over in his mind. "Jeez, we were totally lame. Completely smitten with the other we never realized...ugh. I'm not sure I should eat with my head spinning like this." Sitting on a stool in the kitchen he pondered food and decided to sit and wait for his head to settle before attempting to put anything in his stomach.

Laying his head down, hoping to help still the spinning, he slowly calmed and fell asleep. The sleep sand still taking an effect on him, dragging him into a deep sleep. That's how Tira found him. Slumped on a stool, his head cradle in his arms and dressed in human clothes, barefoot.

She had turned out to only need a few hours to rejuvenate half her strength and stamina. It also turned out that at such a high speed of 'healing' made her ravenous. When she found Brooklyn was gone, and she was once again on the ceiling, she figured her father had taken care of him. Apparently he had helped but hadn't bothered to bring any food for the poor shape shifted gargoyle. He has to be hungry, she thought. He didn't get a chance to eat last night.

That helped her decide to get to work making sandwiches and tomato soup. If she remembered correctly, he liked tomato soup. The only things she couldn't burn. Working silently she was able to have the sandwiches made, two each...she truly was ravenous and knew he could handle three if he was hungry, and the soup half way cooked before the rumbling of his stomach once again woke him.

He peeked up at her from his arms and jerked awake at the sight of her up and about. "You're supposed to be asleep!" He half shouted. She winced at the sudden noise and turned to him, grinning. "I guess the soup's smell woke you?"

He got up and looked a bit angry, "Why aren't you in your room?" She cocked on eyebrow and glared daggers at him, "I am NOT bound to my room by ANYONE. And I was able to heal half way in the past few hours. The only downside is that I'm starved." He backed down and settled on leaning his hip against the counter next to her. He shrugged, "You should be in bed anyway, half isn't full."

The look of anger had been replaced by worry, which helped pulled the daggers she was glaring at him back. "No, not full. But I haven't been at full strength in quite some time Brooklyn. So stop freaking out."

She went back to stirring the soup, "I made sandwiches too. Go ahead and start, this stuff will be done in a few more minutes." She pulled the spoon back, but only had it suddenly snatched out of her hand. Brooklyn gently guided her to the stool he had been sitting in and firmly set her down on it. "You eat, I'll finish the soup." She opened her mouth to protest and was rewarded with a hand clamped firmly over it. "No arguments on this. You burn anything when it comes to the stove and oven. Just eat and I'll finish up."

Sighing with defeat she bit hungrily into her sandwich and took this moment of free time to really get a look at Brooklyn's human form. He had a regal looking, slightly hooked, nose and a proud lift to a masculine chin. She noticed with relief that he didn't have one of those dimple things on his chin. She liked to refer to those as 'butt chins' and didn't care for the look. His hair was still a silvery color and at the same length, halfway down his back. It wasn't really styled, but had obvious shagged layers to it from lack of care. She wondered if he would let her trim it, but dismissed the thought almost as fast as she had thought it.

No way am I going there, she thought. I like him the way he is anyway. She went back to munching her sandwich when he looked pointedly at her then the sandwich. When the soup was done and poured into large bowls, both sitting side by side on stools he nudged her with his elbow, "Why were you looking at me like that?"

She stopped in mid bite, looked at him questioningly and decided to just take the bite. He laughed and shook his head, taking a bite as well. "You mean while you were at the stove?" She asked around her mouth full, covering it with her hand as to not offend him with the site of half chewed food. He nodded and took another bite. She swallowed and sat back, "I didn't really get a chance to look at you before. And I was curious as to what facial features you had acquired."

He sputtered, choking a little.

She patted him on the back, worried she had said the wrong thing.

"Really?" He asked at last. He was smiling, a good sign she figured and nodded in reply. "I thought you were second thinking your decision. I'm glad that was all..." He trailed off, looked a little confused and then went a little pale.

"Now what are you thinking?" She asked, feeling a little overwhelmed.

"You're okay with how I look right? I know you said you liked me when I was a gargoyle, but I didn't realize that you might not like the way I look NOW."

She just looked at him for a moment, her face totally unreadable. Then she blinked a couple of times and burst into laughter. She laughed so hard she fell off her stool and when Brooklyn tried to stop her fall was pulled down with her. He had the strangest feeling that fate WANTED them to fall on each other, since it kept happening and watched her go from laughter to a kind of giggle until she finally stopped laughing and closed her eyes. She was lying on her back, him partially on top of her, slowly trying to scoot to the side without bringing her attention to him.

"What are you doing?" So much for that plan, he thought. "What do you mean?" He asked. She peeked open an eye and looked down at the lower half of their bodies, the last part that was still touching, then raised an eyebrow before closing her eye again. He slid off the rest of the way and lay next to her on his back. They stayed like that for a little until he heard a soft snore like noise come from her. He turned and watched her breath softly in and out, making that little sound and decided he should take her back to bed before she ended up on the ceiling and he couldn't reach her. "Stupid sleep sand," he muttered under his breath.

After he carried her back to her room and she curled up in that tattered blanket he went back to the kitchen to finish his sandwich and clean up the leftovers of hers.

It was 3 p.m. when he looked at the clock. With a big grin he jogged back into Tira's room and started to search for shoes. He had a few hours of roaming outside, before nightfall. He searched for half an hour for shoes but found that Owen had neglected to purchase a pair and Tira didn't own any that would fit him. He was grumbling about human girls and their small feet when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to find Tira standing behind him, holding a pair of boots by their laces. They were black leather boots and had big buckles that went up the front over the laces. "These should fit," She said and dropped a pair of socks on his head. "Those too."

Rolling his eyes he slipped the socks on and started to put one of the boots on when he noticed that she was heading for the bathroom door, slipping out of her lavender pajamas. He couldn't stop staring at her little white, lace under wear until she whipped off the top revealing that she was NOT wearing anything under it. He saw her in the mirror and watched her slip out of the under wear, her back still to him when she grabbed a loofa and stepped into the shower stall. She never noticed his gaze, or at least if she did she didn't choose to acknowledge it.

Stunned, he sat there for a minute before mindlessly resuming putting on his boots, the image of her embedded into his mind.

He had finished lacing up the second boot when he heard the water stop and her humming cut off, he peeked over his shoulder and saw her step out with her loofa and grabbed a towel. She noticed him this time and gave a small smile, blushing softly. "Sorry, I forgot that my being nude might upset you."

He felt his eyebrows jump towards his hairline before he could turn away. "It doesn't UPSET me," he said carefully as he tried to focus his attention on his shoes. "Then what?" She asked.

He peeked back around at the sound of her voice being so close. She was standing right behind him, drying off one of her legs. He turned back around, his face feeling warm, and fought his body as it tried to react to her close...naked, body.

Damn, damn, damn, he thought and tried to imagine things that would take off the edge of his reaction. "I'm making you uncomfortable then?" He shook his head.

"Then why are you so stiff?" The word made him think of something else and he cursed under his breath before he could stop himself.

"Are you okay?" She kneeled down next to him, wrapped in her towel now. But he had already seen everything and could picture her.

"It's nothing," he said in a strained voice. She tilted her head, searching his face. He refused to make eye contact and focused on a piece of lint on the floor. He had his legs crossed Indian style, his arms straight in front of him as he leaned on them, attempting to hide the front of his body. She finally hopped over to squat in front of him, her knees tucked up close to her body and her butt resting against her heals. She tried to make him look her in the eyes, but he just kept avoiding eye contact.

"Brooklyn, you're kind of upsetting me. Can't you just tell me what's wrong? I thought you loved me."

That made him look at her, "No! I do love you! I just..." He felt his face get warm, blushing again, and looked at his left boot.

"Physical things make you uncomfortable despite the fact that I've noticed gargoyles don't wear that much clothing." He glanced at her, a little glare in his eyes before he returned back to his boot. "We can't, or couldn't, wear more than what we had. YOU changed that with the clothes you made for us, but we could never find anything that would fit us." She nodded, "I understand. But still. You should be okay with me right? I mean, I KNOW this isn't the first time you've seen a girl naked."

She wrinkled her nose at him playfully when he looked up. "How do you know?"

She had the humility to look a little guilty, "I asked Broadway." He growled under his breath and stopped when she started to look upset.

"You're not going to get mad at him are you? I just asked if you'd had a girlfriend before and he said you'd been with a couple girls, but they never stuck for long." He gave a mental sigh at that, relieved Broadway hadn't explained how long those girls had stuck with him. She'd be horrified if she found out they only stayed around for a tumble one night and ignored me afterwards, he thought. The memories made him feel a little bitter, but focused on the fact that there was a girl right in front of him who wanted to stay with him.

"No, I'm not mad at him. Or you, for that matter. Can you put some clothes on? I was going to go out before the sun went down and take in the daylight sites. And since your awake I want you to come." She nodded, started to stand and stopped half way up and squatted back down.

"Did you become a little 'aroused' by my being nude?" She asked, her eyes bright with laughter. He groaned and rolled over onto his side.

"You JUST figured that out?" He grumbled into the carpet.

She giggled, standing and looking at him with such a loving expression that his body returned to humble normality. She did a little twirling dance over to her dresser, moving so smoothly and gracefully that Brooklyn found himself unable to look at anything but her. She turned back to him and winked playfully at him. Grabbing a pair of white laced bra and panties as well as a pair of gray socks, she slipped on the socks and panties under the towel. Then hung the towel up by magick to block the view of her torso as she put on the bra. Brooklyn had to swallow back a laugh, knowing how little good that did to help him.

I'll let her think it helped though, he thought. She sent the towel back to the bathroom, revealing the lingerie she wore. "Doesn't leave much to the imagination, now does it?" She asked, pensively. He chuckled and felt assured enough by the lack of body reactions to stand up and look through her drawers. While he was shifting brightly colored garments around in the second drawer, she stepped up next to him and peaked at his curious face as he examined all the clothes. "What are you looking for?" Tira asked. He shrugged, "Something that says 'you'. You know?" She grinned, "You want to pick my clothes?" He nodded, "I know you'll try and wear something special because this is the first day. Plus I don't want other guys looking at you." He said the last bit with a bit of a growl to his voice. Tira could only grin more, then started to make her bed, cleaning up little things all over her room that he father hadn't captured with his spell and put them away.

She glanced at the bookshelf covering the magickal door that led to anywhere she pleased. This included places in the human world, Avalon, and to the multiple rooms and closets that no one but Tira knew the origins of. Thinking of Avalon was always a little hard for her. She'd been there numerous times and had dealt with Oberon and Titianna on many occasions.

In fact she had been very busy at completely winning over Oberon. He seemed like a cold hearted beast, but in reality he was just vain. Vain to the point that it affected every aspect of him, of course. So she kept playing to that part of him and had won his admiration. She flaunted all her abilities in front of him, saying that it was HIS gene that made it possible for her to have magickal abilities despite the human upbringing. That even Titannia's children, who may have retained some primal instinct based magick, could not even begin to do what the granddaughter of Oberon could. She had retained her magic and to play to the vain ego, she kept up the tale that is was all due thanks to HIM.

Tira had known that something had always been a little odd for her, she could do small things with her magick, nothing extravagant or large and energy zapping, but enough to where she knew it wasn't normal. It wasn't until the day that one of the local gangs had 'accidentally' killed her adoptive mother. Of course the cops didn't have enough evidence to convict anyone for the crime. Tira had exploded and she tortured the ones responsible for the death of her adoptive mother, using her magick in a red rage, a time she had vague and fuzzy memories of. After that no one really bothered her.

The next time a gang did try to hurt her The Trio had seen it while on patrol and saved her. Broadway and Lexington had taken out most of the guys while Brooklyn had taken care of her, but one had slipped back unnoticed.

When the gargoyles had knocked all the gangsters out, the last one jumped into the middle of the ally way they were in, gun pulled out from the back of his pants, and attempted to shoot the gargoyles who had taken out his friends. Tira's power flared to life at the site of the gun. She had screamed to him, "I will not let you kill another good person!" Then the gun had turned to ash in the man's hand, when he looked up she was glowing and floating right in front of him. "W what are you?"

She had tilted her head to one side and gave a vicious smile. "I'm the Angel of Justice. Run." The man hadn't hesitated and ran. Broadway used a metal rod to tie up the five other members of the gang, "I'll take these guys and drop them off at the police station." Lex looked from Broadway, to Brooklyn, and then finally to Tira, who had collapsed in a heap of tears.

Tira was sobbing into her cut and dirty hands, not caring what or who was around her, but just generally miserable and not able to hold it in any longer. "Maybe we should bring her to the tower?" Lex suggested. "Oh yeah, Goliath is gonna go for that," Broadway said sarcastically. Brooklyn had crouched down next to Tira. He put a hand on her shoulder, "Are you hurt miss?" She shook her head and looked up at his face.

He had to resist the urge to duck his head or jump back into the shadows so that she couldn't see him. She was obviously upset and probably wouldn't be able to handle three GARGOYLES on top of all that had happened to her. But she just looked at him, that look of wide eye shock and utter sadness, then wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him, burying her tear stained face against him and sobbed.

He hadn't known what to do, so had just picked her up. He held her close to him, tucking her legs up into his grasp. "We're taking her to the tower. At the very least Elisa can help her." "Goliath isn't going to be happy," Broadway said glumly. Brooklyn darted a vicious glare at his rookery brother. "Would you rather I leave her here, obviously magickal and extremely upset for some weirdo to get her?" Broadway sigh, "Well if you put it THAT way, I guess it's okay. She did call us 'good people' earlier." "Maybe she'll turn out like Elisa!" Lex said enthusiastically. Brooklyn nodded and started to climb up the building to his right. Broadway followed him, dragging the knocked out guys with him, and Lex right on their heals. "It'll be great to have another human friend," Lex said excitedly.

They saved me and took me into their family, Tira thought. If it weren't for them I probably would have ended up dead or crazy.

Dealing with her mother's death had been hard, but everyone helped her over come that obstacle. She would come to the clock tower every night and every time he got the chance Goliath would take her with him to the library to help her spruce up her education. Of course when Brooklyn had found this out he started to take her so that Goliath wouldn't have to and could spend more time with Elisa and be on the job with her. Plus he enjoyed Tira's company and liked the fact that she was as into Shakespeare and medieval literature as he was.

Lex and Tira would play video games and it turned out she had a knack for computers. And even though Broadway had been a little unsure about bringing her back to the clock tower, this being when the clock tower had still been their home, he was the one who had became her best friend.

She secretly loved Brooklyn, and more or less looked at Lex as a younger brother, but Broadway was her best friend. They both loved to mess with food recipes, she showed him the wonders of comic books, old fashioned movies, and would always bring home free popcorn from her part time job at the movie theatre.

Eventually Elisa had her move in to her apartment. She didn't think that living under a tree in Central Park was a very good place for Tira to stay. So Tira took the couch and kept the small chest she had hidden in the brush of the tree she lived at in Elisa's room.

When Elisa, Goliath and Bronx had come back with Angela, Tira had tried to stay out of the way as much as possible. Even letting her feelings for Brooklyn go for a while, as he followed his brothers in the pursuit of Angela. Turned out Angela didn't care for the pursuit very much, turning to Elisa for help, eventually able to put an end to the constant show of bravado by the trio. After that, Angela realized how much Tira loved Brooklyn and vise versa. Which didn't explain why they both had acted as if those feelings existed.

Tira remembered Angela asking, "Why didn't you get upset about how Brooklyn was acting with me? You behaved so nicely to us both and pretended that you had no feelings about the situation." Tira had merely smiled sadly and shook her head. "I'm human. It's as easy as that."

Hmm…I wonder if Angela talked to Brooklyn about it too, Tira thought. She went back to the dresser where Brooklyn was examining some shirts, a pair of jean shorts across his arm. "Did Angela talk to you about us?" It was harder to say than she thought, not wanting him to think she was angry about his behavior before. Brooklyn looked up at her surprised. "Is that what was making you so upset?" "Upset? How do you figure I was upset?" He rolled his eyes. "The colors in your eyes start swirling when you're upset." She blushed and put a hand over her eyes, "Crap. I HAVE to work on that. No wonder people were afraid of me."

Suddenly a light gray tank top was shoved over her head and she had to move her hand before it was trapped in the neck hole. "You only do that when you are deep in thought AND upset. You have to be both and you never do those two together unless you're alone or with someone who knows you." She put her arms into the proper holes and snatched the deep purple, long sleeved shirt and cuffed jean shorts out of his grasp. "Fine. But can you answer my question please?" He laughed, "You never actually asked a question." Tira sighed with frustration and put the purple shirt on, arranging it so that the large neckline was pulled down over her shoulders, exposing the gray straps of the tank. The purple top was much shorter than the gray, stopping a couple inches below her breasts, the gray shirt much longer but stopping above her navel. Then stepped into the shorts, after putting them on he realized how tight fit they were and how much leg she was showing off, mentally scolding himself for picking shorts. "I would never have thought of that," Brooklyn said, pointing to the tops' arrangement, hoping to escape the questions she was asking.

Tira glared at him until he groaned and sat on the bed. "Yes, she came and talked to me. She asked me why I was pursuing her when it was obvious that I was in love with you." He kept his gaze fixed on his hands, firmly clasped in his lap. "I wouldn't have pursued her if I thought there was a chance with you and I, Tira. I swear. I just didn't think I would ever have my feelings returned and thought that…I'm sorry." She covered her mouth and tried to hide her face. The whole situation should have been solemn and sad, she shouldn't find it all so funny.

A little snort of laughter escaped her and the rest just fell out after that. She was laughing so hard that tears were in her eyes, as she sat on the floor next to him. Her back was pressed against the bed, his legs just brushing her shoulder. "I'm sorry Brooklyn. This…isn't funny…it's just-," She tried to say between bits of laughter. It was all so ridiculous. She should have just pursued her feelings without qualm, like she did with everything. But the feelings were so strong that she didn't think she could have taken being rejected and he had felt the same way in every aspect.

Irony and fate worked hand in hand, both having a twisted sense of humor. She slowly got her breath back and her laughter under control. Brooklyn slid to the floor next to her, chuckling softly under his breath and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him and sighed. "All of this could have been avoided," she said with a giggle. "Yep. We're pathetic."

He kissed the top of her head then her temple, tilting her chin so he could kiss her cheek, then her nose. By this time she had slipped an arm behind him and put a hand on his chest. What he didn't realize is that she was about to pinch him very hard and push him away. "Ow! Tira! What the ?" She covered his mouth and shook her head. "Nope, not until tonight mister. For now we're going to go out and enjoy the afternoon. Hopefully grab something along the way, I never got to finish my lunch."

She used magick to disappear from next to Brooklyn to be in front of the closet, rummaging around inside for shoes. She slipped on the soft soled black leather boots and did a little twirl. "How's this? Good?" She asked him. Brooklyn nodded and stood up. No sooner had he straightened that she had grabbed his hand and pulled him with her as she ran out of her room and down the hall. In a few steps they were both floating down the rest of the hallway and out the window at the end.

Brooklyn subconsciously started to try and move his tail and wings at the site of nothing but sky and air. "You don't have wings Brooklyn. So stop freaking out!" Tira said as they suddenly started to plummet towards the ground. "Shit!" Brooklyn said as they started to pick up speed and he realized she wasn't using magick to hold them up or even control their fall. She pulled him closer to her, "I said stop freaking out."

Then their decent slowed down and they were zipping across the tops of the lower buildings that surrounded Xanatos' skyscraper. "Mind telling me where we're going?" Brooklyn asked. She grinned and they slowed, drifting to the ground, landing softly in an ally way.

"We're going out," Tira said happily and trotted over to the sidewalk. She motioned for Brooklyn to come join her. He looked at the buildings around them and found that they were barely a block from Xanatos's.

"We had to get away from there so that no one would wonder who we are and stuff." Brooklyn frowned as he watched all the people along the sidewalks and all of the cars driving by. "None of those people saw us?" She shook her head, "Made us invisible."

"Couldn't you have don't that for when we stepped out of the building instead of falling?" She turned her attention completely on him, after being so exhilarated by flight she got a little distracted. Looking at him she realized he wasn't very happy. "Did I scare you Brooklyn?" "No. I just prefer flying when I have wings." He shrugged, as if to push whatever thoughts he had away, and took Tira's hand as he stepped out of the ally. "What did you have planned for us today?" She walked with him for a moment, watching his face, then decided to let the nagging feeling that she was missing something go. "I don't know. It's your day though, Brooklyn, so go ahead and pick whatever you want to do."

A mischievous grin slowly spread across his face. "I have the perfect place we can go." Tira hailed a taxi, let Brooklyn tell the driver where he wanted to go before letting Tira anywhere near the taxi, then they were off.

"Why am I not surprised?" Tira said with a laugh. The taxi had dropped them off at a high end Motorcycle shop. Brooklyn was all but drooling over the bikes, also just as typical. He was talking shop with one of the salesmen while Tira wondered over to the one he seemed to prize and adored the most. She touched it and used her magic to absorb every detail of the bike, then with a muttered spell she made one just like it right outside, out of sight from any pedestrians. "Brooklyn. We got to go babe." He frowned at Tira but shrugged said goodbye to the salesman and followed her out of the store.

"I have something for you." He arched a brow, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Yeah? What?" She motioned for him to look in front of them as they walked to the right of the store, just behind a large truck. Brooklyn looked up and it looked as if his jaw wanted to fall off it dropped so far. "That's…. That's a..." she laughed and trotted over to the bike she had magickally summoned, sat on the seat and did a little model pose. "It's a Yamaha warrior midnight, even though I have no idea what that means. Like?" He nodded, snapping his mouth shut when she did a little twist of her wrists and produced two black helmets. "Is this real or a dream?" He asked, taking a helmet from her. "Nope, it's real," Tira replied, grabbing him before he could get his helmet on and kissed him deeply. "Proof enough?" She asked when she pulled back. He nodded and shoved the helmet on to hide the goofy look on his face. She could always do that to him.

They zoomed off, Tira holding onto his waist as firmly as she could. It's completely natural to be nervous on a bike, Tira thought. Especially when the driver is Brooklyn. He could feel how stiff she was as she held on to him tightly. Chuckling he turned down the street that led to Elisa's apartment. "Why are we going here?" Tira asked after she pulled off her helmet. "Well I wanted to talk to Elisa about…us," Brooklyn said a little reluctantly. "What for?" Tira went to the door of the building and waited for Brooklyn to lock up his bike before stepping in and making their way up the stairs. "Well, I figured if she and Goliath were more or less a couple then she might have tips." She stopped with her eyes wide with disbelief. "Brooklyn. Goliath turned Elisa down." "WHAT? When did that happen? WHY? " He took her arm and froze, the color drained from his face. "If he doesn't agree with being with a human then we have no chance of convincing him!"

There was a step at the stair landing above us, "Don't be so sure of that."

They looked up to see Elisa watching them, with her hands in her coat pockets. The circles that had been under her eyes for so long, since the police station had been blown up and the gargoyles revealed most of the cops had been run haggard, had faded. No matter what situation we're in its always good for a little reminder of how close you are to a person and the best way to do that is to use nicknames and titles, this advice drifted through Tira's head in what she knew to be her mother's voice.

"You get a good nights sleep for once 'super cop'?"

Elisa smiled at the mention of the old nickname and nodded, motioning for the two to hurry up and follow her. "Did I hear you right? Are you really Brooklyn?" He nodded, "Tira and I stumbled up something a couple nights ago."

Elise led them down the hall to her apartment door, turning and smiling at the pair.

"You two finally realized that you loved each other."

Tira nodded and Brooklyn groaned, hanging his head. "Why didn't anyone tell us?" He demanded. Elisa shrugged and stepped into the apartment. Tira pushed Brooklyn in ahead of her, shutting and locking the door before joining him on the sofa. Elisa went to the kitchen and fed Cagney, the cat. "No one wanted to jump to conclusions, even though it was painfully obvious, as well as the fact that everyone should have a chance to do things on their own. This includes 'making a move' on the person you are in love with." Tira took Brooklyn's hand, squeezing it slightly.

'It's okay,' she said on a magickal link from her mind to his, 'stop fidgeting'. Brooklyn looked down at his hands to see they were making a wrinkled mess out of the hem of his shirt. Sighing he stood and stepped out onto Elisa's balcony.

"He okay? What happened last night?" Elisa asked, taking Brooklyn's seat next to Tira. "He's okay." Tira answered.

'ARE you okay?' She asked him on that magickal link. 'Yeah, Tira, I'm okay. I just can't handle all of this at once, you know? Maybe we should just go home.' 'No. You can stay out there while I talk with Elisa. But you said you were ready to handle this kind of stuff, or are you backing out and not wanting to be with me anymore?' He whirled around, a look of shock on his face and ran back inside. "How can you ask me that? Of course I want to be with you! I'll do anything to stay with you!" Tira put a hand to her mouth to hide the smile that pulled at her lips. She had gotten the reaction she had hoped for. "Wow," Elisa said. Brooklyn blushed, embarrassed at saying something so personal in front of Elisa. "Sorry," he muttered before resuming his place on the balcony. Except this time he sat down and watched the clouds pass by.

"He said that because you two were talking with magick right?" Elisa asked. Tira nodded, "You thought he was either psychotic or really that much in love for a second didn't you?" With a smirk Elisa patted Tira on the shoulder and reclined a little into a more relaxed position. "I just got here when you two came. Do you want to explain what happened?" Tira shrugged and stood, "Let's talk while we get something to eat. I'm half starved." Elisa glanced over to Brooklyn.

"He doesn't seem to want to talk about it."

"Then he can either let us go get something, or go get it by himself." Tira had raised her voice enough so that Brooklyn would hear her. He glanced over and motioned with a hand for them to go. Tira rolled her eyes and silently summoned a gameboy from the castle. 'At least keep yourself entertained until we come back,' she told him. 'Thanks. And be careful okay?' 'I'm magickal and Elisa is a cop, nothing is going to happen,' she turned to Elisa and winked.

"He's being a little pouty, but said we can just go get something. Wan to take his bike or your car?" "DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT TIRA!" Brooklyn hollered back into the apartment, already furiously pushing buttons on the little game. Elisa shrugged, "My car. I don't like to drive motor…wait. When did you guys get a bike?" She looked from Tira to Brooklyn and back again. Tira waved a hand, dismissing the topic, "Magick, Elisa. Now, let's get going."


	3. Chapter 3

While the girls went out and to a Japanese restaurant to pick up some stuff Tira explained how she had wanted to make clothing for The Clan, to make them more appealing to humans, and maybe a little more comfortable themselves. Then she told how the incident with Brooklyn had started with his measurements, as well as what happened after and just last night. Finally, she explained how her father had cast the spell on Brooklyn, as well as why.

"It's only temporary," Tira said. "I doubt it will go more than two nights."

Elisa gave her a disapproving look while she took a bite out of her egg roll. The two girls were walking back to the car, both hungry enough to eat their egg rolls on the way, because there hadn't been a place to park within a block of the restaurant.

"What?" Tira asked exasperatedly, flinging her free arm out in the air in an expressive gesture. Elisa shrugged, "It would seem that you had Brooklyn change to human during the day, thus making it obvious that you have issues." Tira stopped dead in her tracks and was at such a loss for words that her mouth kept opening and closing as if she were trying to speak. Elisa mentally smacked herself. "I'm sorry Tira. That's just how it's going to look unless you try and find a way to explain the whole thing as clearly and to the point as you can. Goliath and the clan might not understand."

Tira started back up the sidewalk, an extra stomp to her step. "Well if they are pig headed enough to not realize that Brooklyn and I want to spend the rest of our lives, this including every moment may we be awake or not, together then I'll just…just…" And she started to cry. "Oh Elisa! Maybe I shouldn't be doing this! This whole gargoyle and human thing is exactly why Brooklyn and I never got together! I love him so much, I just can't imagine not spending all my time with him " She sat on a little bench to the right and tried to keep her tears from falling in the bag while also trying to hide her face with her hands. Elisa followed and took both bags, set them in between them and hugged the girl over them.

"Maybe you should work and sleep during the day, then spend the nights together? I think that would be okay don't you?"

Tira nodded. "But it isn't fair that he has to turn to stone What if we're wanting to be together and he has to run off before the sun rises?" The younger girl clung to other woman's red jacket, sniffling softly.

"I figured he could sleep with me during the day and maybe even go to work with me too You know? Get a job at the same place? And then we could watch the sunset and rise, spend time together." Elisa mulled that over in her head, trying not to let the bitter hurt from Goliath hinder her view on the situation.

"That could work. But then again, this is all up to you two. Maybe this will be something he'll be okay talking about?" Tira nodded and grabbed a bag, standing up. "Take my hand and I'll get us there in a jiff." Elisa looked at the outstretched hand dubiously before taking it and squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden whirl of wind. When she opened them again they were back in her apartment, Brooklyn looking at them a little surprised and angry. "Tira," he said in a warning voice. Tira shrugged, "It was quicker to use magic than riding in the car." Elisa's head whipped around, "The car! I forgot about it!" Tira waved off the comment casually, "Don't worry Elisa. Like I would leave that thing behind. It's right where we had it before. And yes, I DID check to make sure it didn't hit another car that might have been parked there." Elisa sighed, relieved and followed the other girl into the kitchen. "Tira, you really need to cut back on your magick using. I don't want you to collapse and fall into a coma," Brooklyn chided.

Tira suddenly shot around the corner, the look in her face only describable as wild fury. "My father TOLD you that?" Her eyes and hair glowing white, her hair moving as if by wind but there was none. He held up his hands, palms out stretched and his face neutral. "I guessed, you're dad only said something about passing out." He arched a brow at her, as if challenging her to pick a fight. With a sigh the glowing dimmed and her hair settled around her hair daintily. "Well I hate it when you do that. Now I told you something I had hoped to never have to mention."

She trudged back to the kitchen to pull out the food from the bag she had been carrying. Elisa eyed the other warily, "You went into a coma?" Tira nodded. Brooklyn stepped into the doorway and leaned on the wall, "When?" Tira shrugged, "Two years before I met you guys. I used up everything I had, taking out…well. I revenged my mother's death." "But your mother has been dead for thousands of years," Brooklyn said a little confused. Elisa rolled her eyes and glared at the boy. "She meant her adoptive mother. The human one who raised her." Tira nodded and carried her tray of little carton boxes to the living room. She put them on the coffee table, laying out the chopstick sets for each of them. Elisa soon followed with the tray she had.

Brooklyn grabbed Tira's arm, holding her up so that she didn't sit and then sat in the spot she had been about to sit in. "Hey now…" She started, but he suddenly yanked her onto his lap and wrapped an arm around her waist. Elisa smiled, swallowing the lump of bitter anger and regret that had built up in her throat. Damn that Goliath, she thought somberly. They each used a pair of chopsticks and dug into little cartons of Japanese food, chatting about mundane things.

"Elisa, what do you think we should do?" Brooklyn asked, after a while. Elisa shrugged, "I don't know. I'm obviously not the one to talk to about this." She pointed her chopsticks at Tira, "However she has a definite advantage." Tira groaned. "I will NOT use magick on them to make them accept us." Elisa shook her head, quickly chewing the food in her mouth before saying, "No I didn't mean that. Your idea before and your little thing that concerns your blood mother." Elisa winked at Tira who starred horrified at the other woman. "Elisa! You promised to never mention that!" Brooklyn looked from one to the other, confused, before tapping Tira's leg to get her attention. "What does that mean?" Tira furiously shook her head. "Either you wait for me to tell you, when I know the time is right, or I erase that memory from you." He lifted his brows in shock at such a statement. "You wouldn't." Her shoulders drooped. "No, but I figured it was a good threat." Brooklyn looked at the guilty girl with a suspicious glare. "You've never actually done that Tira, have you?" Her head snapped up and her eyes glimmered with indignity, "NO! And I will never! How coul " Brooklyn kissed her then, cutting her off.

Elisa cleared her throat, "Guys. Don't start that please." Tira just smiled, pulling away and continued eating. "Sorry Elisa. I've found it's more fun to shut her up that way," Brooklyn apologized, glancing at Tira, expecting to have to repeat the action, but she showed no sign of even have heard it. "One slide," she said around a mouth full of food. Chuckling he continued to eat as well. Elisa watched the pair, feeling a little too forlorn for her taste, but couldn't help it. They were making their relationship work. Why couldn't she and Goliath?

"Oh, Brooklyn. Elisa and I talked about the whole day and night thing, but we need your input." He blinked, noodles hanging from his mouth. He bit off the noodles and quickly chewed them. "I already decided," he said. Both girls watched him expectantly. He shrugged, "I'll be human during the day so that we can be together through the parts that we're awake. Since I know we won't be sleeping most of it." Tira made a squeaky noise and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him so that his face was half buried in her breasts. "You sure Brooklyn?" To his dismay she pulled away to see his face, "You can always stay gargoyle and sleep as stone during the day. Just keep doing what we've been doing." He shook his head, "Nope. Staying this way. Human by day, gargoyle by night. I would become human, permanently for you, but I know you would never ask me to do that."

Tira sat back and examined Brooklyn's expression carefully, her previous outburst placing her into a straddling position of his thigh. "I wouldn't even think of asking that," she said after a long pause. "I can tell you're completely fine with the daytime changes, but what about The Clan?" "Don't worry. Broadway, Lex and Angela know you guys have been in love for a while. They wanted you two to get together, but thought it was up to you guys to 'take the plunge'. They'll be behind you a hundred percent. It's Goliath and Hudson who you have to watch out for. Hudson not so much, what with you Tira." Again, Brooklyn felt completely lost. "How much really goes on that I'm ignorant of?" Tira giggled which is a rare thing to behold and becoming a regular occurrence now that she was with Brooklyn.

"You know when he and I fight? Well, he's more or less a father figure for me. The only time's we disagree, you remember cause I came to you crying, is because he wanted me to do something I really couldn't." "What did he want you to do?" Brooklyn could feel the anger well up, defensive for Tira. She shrugged, "Same thing I wouldn't tell you before. Only Hudson, Elisa, my father, and David know. FOX doesn't even know and that's saying something."

Brooklyn nodded. "Why do Hudson and Elisa know?"

"Grandpa Oby told them." Grandpa Oby was a fond nickname Tira and Oberon had finally agreed on. He didn't mind it and it was surely better than the other ones she had come up with. Tira had become his prized gem, even more so than his wife was. Of course Grandma Tany hates Tira with every fiber of her being, as well as the retched nickname Oberon commanded she let Tira call her. Brooklyn had a hard time fighting the smile that pulled at his lips at the mention of the nickname.

She saw the smile and poked him playfully in the ribs.

"What's so funny?" He shook his head. "Nothing. But will you EVER tell me what this is?" "Yes. Once The Clan accepts us I will tell everyone." Brooklyn glanced at the clock. It was going on 6 o'clock. "The sun will be setting soon. We should head over to the castle." Tira nodded and looked at Elisa. "You should come Elisa. I think I can help." Elisa glanced at the sky outside the window, "I'm not sure if you can Tira."

She stopped herself from finishing the thought and grabbed a tray, avoiding the concerned looks from the young couple on her couch. "It's okay, I'll stick around here. You go ahead and fight the fight."

Tira was in front of her before she could blink. "I think not Ms. Pessimistic." With a flick of her arm Tira had all the left over food neatly tucked away in the fridge and the trays cleaned. "You are coming to the castle with us and you are going to face this problem, just like we'll face ours." She grabbed Elisa's wrist and with a flash of what seem to be lightning they were suddenly standing on the balcony where the gargoyles slept during the day, their stone figures before them. "I hate it when you do that," Elisa grumbled to Tira, who just grinned.

Brooklyn stepped closer to the stone statues of his clan and examined his rookery brothers a bit more closely. "It actually gets pock marks! There are little holes, Tira!" He was pointing to a noticeable mark on Broadway's wing when the sun's middle passed behind the horizon. Lines started to spread themselves over the gargoyles as they started to wake. Tira ran over to Brooklyn and pulled him out of reach of the shattered stone that erupted from the gargoyles. The still human Brooklyn. "Why haven't I changed back?" Tira shook her head, just as confused. "You haven't changed because I'm willing it. I figured it would be easier to explain if they actually saw you." Puck was sitting on the door jam's ledge above them, kicking his pointed shoed feet slightly, childlike.

"Who's this?" Goliath demanded, coming up to Tira and Brooklyn. Tira shot her father one last glare before turning to Goliath. "Just don't get all in a huff now Goliath. Hear us out." The violet gargoyle crossed his arms, expectantly, "Fine. Go ahead." "It's me Goliath," Brooklyn said with one hand to his chest another outstretched in a familiar and friendly gesture. "Brooklyn?" Angela asked, coming up to him, the new human easily gathering the other gargoyle's interest. "No way! I thought you looked familiar!" Lex said excitedly. "But why?" Goliath asked. With a wave of his hand Puck released Brooklyn from the daylight confinement. Tira saw her father's movement and before he could start to change back she magickally switched Brooklyn's clothes with the ones he had been wearing as a gargoyle the night before. 'So sorry my dear, that little detail must have slipped my mind,' Puck said to her through a magickal link. She shot a vicious glare at him. 'Dad, if you don't stop playing tricks I'll tell Grandpa Oby how awful you've been and that it was YOU who taught Alex how to change other people's hair color from a distance, then showed the little tot Grandpa's picture.' Puck summoned a little white handkerchief and waved it sorrowfully before grinning wickedly and disappearing.

"You know that didn't hurt as much as it did last time," Brooklyn said folding his wings so they draped over his shoulders like a cape. Tira hugged him. "Yeah, that'd be my dad. I'm sorry Brooklyn." "Where's tha' rascal? I'll get 'em fer doin' this to ya lad!" Hudson declared as he whipped out his sword. "No! I asked him to change me Hudson." "But why would ye go an do tha' lad?" Angela made an exasperated noise and rolled her eyes. "Only because he finally realized that he loves Tira and that she loves him back." "WHAT?" Goliath and Hudson chorused.

Broadway and Lexington were chuckling, but moved with Angela to stand behind the couple, as if moving to the couple's defense. Elisa had slipped back into the shadow of the doorway, rather hoping that Tira would forget her evil plan to 'help' Elisa and Goliath's 'situation'. Unfortunate for her, her presence hadn't gone unnoticed. Tira saw her and made a mental note to address that problem after facing the one at hand.

"Well. Are ye sure ye two want to be doin' this?" Even though his words and voice expressed disapproval, his face all but beamed with happiness. "Yes, Hudson. We're sure. We've thought about it for a few days and decided for sure today." Hudson motioned for the girl to come over to him. Grinning, Tira jumped into the waiting hug. He lifted her small figure up in a loving hug. "Aye. Ye both chose well. Ye're suited fer each other." He put Tira down and nudged Goliath with his elbow. "Did'na they choose well lad?" Goliath made a rumbling noise. "I don't necessarily approve. There are probably things you two haven't thought about. Obstacles that will prevent you from being completely happy." Tira was shaking her head. "You're being ridiculous Goliath. It's like you have a beauty and the beast complex. Just because you're a bit bigger and stronger doesn't mean that us wee humans are going to get smashed by you " As she spoke, an Irish tilt came into her speech, something that only occurred when she was feeling very sentimental or passionate about something. In this case it was both. He growled at her, flaring his wings out, "Don't start with me." Usually not very pigheaded, this subject was obviously touching too close to home, as Tira had hoped, and the natural male pigheadedness was blaring loud and clear. "You have no idea what you are doing and don't know what kind of consequences can come from your actions," the larger gargoyle continued. Brooklyn stepped closer to Tira, wrapping an arm around her waist. "No Goliath," she said shaking her head. "You've made the wrong choice. Those thoughts are nothing but poison. The proof is in the pudding as the old saying goes." The three younger ones had been silent this whole time, though Broadway had to hold Angela back from interrupting Goliath with her protests.

They all watched her as Tira's skin slowly changed tones, turning a soft gray and her hair slowly shimmering from white blonde to a purple color, growing and flaring out wildly. Brooklyn stepped back as wings erupted from her back, a tail following suit. By the time she stood before them in her other form everyone was stunned into silence, except Hudson. Puck was back, standing next to the older gargoyle, both with the same expression of love and pride on their faces. "You…can change. I guess that's logical, since I can be human." Brooklyn said, uncertain. Tira shook her head. "No. I'm not magickally altering myself. This is what I looked like when I was born." With a wave of her hand she changed her outfit into a soft purple dress that went in large V slits at the bottom in the back and front, gracefully embroidered in silver, with a silver headband resting on her head.

"My mother's father was a gargoyle. But her mother was a human. A druid, to be precise, with strong magickal abilities. She changed my mother's appearance so that the villagers wouldn't kill her like they killed my grandfather's clan. She couldn't save her husband, something to do with him being on a kind of patrol and was too far away. The Irish Gargoyles had always protected the Druids and Celtics, but they had never learned the magick of the humans. They did fall in love with them though. Half breeds, like my mother had been common in that clan. There were a lot of Gargoyles. That's what killed them in the end. So many drew the village's attention. Those people weren't the same as the Druids and Celtic people."

Tira's expression was pained, as if she could see what had happened so long ago. "My mother fell in love with that rascal there," she gestured to her father who bowed gracefully. "She made these clothes for me, so that when I grew I'd have something from her." Tira motioned to the clothes she was wearing. Goliath looked completely dumbfounded. "You are part gargoyle, human AND elf?" He asked. Tira nodded, grinning. "So you see, my grandfather was a gargoyle and my grandmother a human. They were fine until the villagers became murdering Neanderthals." She shrugged. "I don't think it would be safe to go back and change the past, so I'm just going to leave it alone. But the whole point is that I can be with Brooklyn and you, my dear friend, don't have to be hindered by such foolish thoughts." She changed back to human, then changed her clothes back to the ones she had been wearing before, the rips caused by her transformation mended. "This is the form I prefer though. I've always been able to go back and forth between my three forms at will." Tira informed them. But she was looking at Brooklyn, eyes for no one else. "Is it all okay?" He blinked, realizing she was talking directly to him and nodded, grabbing her in a hug. "You can look anyway and I wouldn't care, as long as you are still you."

"Well great! Now both Brooklyn AND Broadway have mates! I'm left out of the loop," Lex cried out into the silence, making most of them laugh. Puck had once again changed forms, to Owen, and left his daughter to deal with the gargoyles. Goliath was looking out at the city, a look of confusion on his face. Tira quietly pointed out Elisa to Hudson, who then ushered the three other youngsters into the kitchen for supper. Bronx had already ventured inside to find something to eat. "Goliath," Tira said, pulling his attention to her. "I'm sorry if you are offended by what I'm about to say or at least how I say it, but I think you and Elisa need to talk." Brooklyn had stepped over to Elisa and proceeded to lead her out by the hand to stand in front of Goliath. Elisa and Goliath watched the pair leave, Brooklyn casually tucking her close to him with an arm around her waist, back into the main part of the castle.

"She is really something. I'm not surprised she's a gargoyle," Elisa said. Goliath looked at her, shocked.

"You knew she was a gargoyle." This was more an accusation than a question. Elisa crossed her arms and glared at Goliath, "Yes. I knew. Oberon came to Hudson and me. He told us that since I had taken care of her as well as I could when she was younger and on the streets, that I had taken on the role of 'dutiful guardian'. Hudson counseled her when you guys were woken from the spell and helped her overcome the damage caused by the traumatic events she had gone through, thus he gained the title of 'dutiful guardian' as well."

She shrugged. "He felt that made us worthy of knowing the truth. She explained a little more in depth after he told us. Puck already knew and so David knew as well."

Goliath put a hand to his head, "So much to take in at once. I see her point though, about 'proof in the pudding' as she put it." Elisa unfolded her arms and took Goliath's face in her hands to make him focus on her.

"She is right. And she made a point to make sure we knew that we were wrong in our choice."

He let out a rumbling sigh, "Yes. But can we take it all back?"

Elisa stood up on her tip toes, putting one hand on Goliath's chest and used the other to bring his face down to meet hers half way in a soft kiss. She pulled back and took a step away. "Are you sure Elisa?" She nodded.

Goliath folded his wings over his shoulders and grabbed her, pulling her up off the ground to kiss her deeply.

Tira and Brooklyn were peeking down at the two from a window above. "Awwww," Tira said, "That's so sweet."

"I still can't believe you can read lips," Brooklyn muttered. She had been conveying Elisa and Goliath's conversation to him. They were sitting in a high window, placed so high in the ceiling that if you didn't know that gargoyles were also considered when making this castle you would have thought it a very silly idea.

The two new lovers were making good use of the view it had of the balcony where Elisa and Goliath were. "Yes, well. I'm full of surprises." Brooklyn groaned. "Not too many at once okay?" She started to nod but stopped in mid motion as things got a little steamier down below. "Uh oh. Okay, we better go before we see something we REALLY don't want to." Brooklyn had been looking at Tira, but now glanced out the window. He had to do a double take, his jaw dropping. Tira tapped it closed and guided his gaze from the scene below to her face again. "Didn't think Goliath was capable of copping a feel did you?" Tira laughed at the horrified expression Brooklyn gave her for asking such a terrible question. "I do NOT want to think about that! Or anything that may relate to it in anyway, shape or form!"

He scooped Tira up and glided down to the floor. But before he could land Tira used her magick to put them in her room, making it so they had to tumble into the bed to stop them from knocking into anything else and getting hurt.

"Well. I'm starting to think fate is trying to tell us something Tira." She laughed and stretched, relaxing against the pillows. "Yeah, I noticed that too." Brooklyn was once again positioned just above her. "Not that I'm complaining," she continued. "I just don't want you to get the idea that I'm submissive though." He laughed and carefully rolled them, so as not to hurt his wings, to put her on top instead. "Better?" She nodded and grinned, then bent down and kissed him softly.

"You sure you want to pursue this now? Despite what you just saw?" She asked after pulling away a little. "Ugh! Don't remind me! That image will forever be burned into my head! I don't want to think about what they could be doing!" He had covered his face, as if to block the images, while he said this. She laughed and scooted off him to walk over to the large window on the right of the bed. The moonlight made her blond hair look almost silver and her skin as milky white as the moon itself. She glanced at him, with a curious lift of her brows. "You keep looking at me with that expression. What does it mean?" She asked. He rolled his eyes. "For living on the streets of Manhattan you can be a bit naïve sometimes."

He stood up to walk up behind her, wrapping his arms and wings around her. She leaned back against him, "I know. It's not that odd though. I'm naïve to certain things because I was never really exposed to it while I was growing up." He gently nuzzled her cheek with his. "Okay. And to answer your question, I don't know what my expression looks like so I don't know how to describe what's behind it. But I do know that I'm completely and irreversibly in love with you." "Good answer," was all she said before turning around in his arms and kissing him deeply. Tira slowly started to pull him back to the bed, but when he noticed her destination he broke their kiss and carried her back to the bed instead.

Before he could stand back up she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to resume their kiss. Brooklyn started to push her tops up, revealing her smooth stomach. Tira magickally vanished her tops and shorts, sending them in the general direction of her dresser. Clad in only her lace panties and bra, Brooklyn had free range of her body and let his hands play along her skin. She repeated the vanishing with his clothes. But he didn't have any under garments and was quite nude and ready for the next step of intimacy. Of course her lingerie was an obstacle.

"You have complete permission to rip any item of clothing that may be hindering your progress," she said with a breathy voice.

Brooklyn grinned and grabbed the sides of her panties, ripping them and pulling them off her. Then ripped the straps and hooks of her bra, removing it as well, trying not to jar her and only rip the material.

He cupped her left breast and slowly let his right hand slide down her thigh and slip gently between her legs. He was a little afraid he'd cut her with his talons and stopped before he reached his original destination.

She grabbed his wrist, the one positioned below and between her thighs, and with a glow of magick his talons were gone on that one hand. He didn't bother to sit and wonder at the transformation and went straight back to what he had intended to do.

He was a little surprised at how soft she was and to her little sounds of pleasure as he stroked her smooth wet center. He brushed what he guess was her clit and the noises stopped with a small gasp as she grabbed him and kissed him so hard and deeply he thought for a moment they would never be able to separate again.

His mind was barely working, obviously, and as they kissed he pulled the hand out from between her thighs, placed himself so that his hips where in between her legs and slowly slid himself inside her. She arched her back, pressing herself against him, with a gasp. He placed a hand on the small of her back and pushed himself up on one arm, pulling away from her kiss. Her eyes seemed a little glazed but what was inside them pierced him through his own haze. He felt her body clench around him and she moved her hips to urge him on.

He didn't waste anymore time and backed out of her then pushed back in. Moving his wings in time with his rhythm, he was vaguely aware of Tira moving her hips in time with his. She whispered things that he didn't hear in between kisses. Eventually the fact that everything was floating in the room, slowly orbiting with the bed as the center, did come to their attention. This might have stalled their climatic climbing had he not focused one last thrust, causing her to shiver from head to toe, in an almost convulsive manner. Her movements tightened her inside, causing him to find his own release. With a vague shout his arms gave so that only his elbows propped him up, his own body quivering with the after shocks of it all.

The furniture was still spinning, slowly and steadily.

"You okay?" He managed to ask. She was lying very still beneath him. "Besides a little squish age from you, I'm fine." He tried to lift himself off her and found that the muscles in his body had turned to jelly and wouldn't obey him.

"Sorry Tira, I'm stuck for the moment." She laughed softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, attempting to hug him. She could do no more than clasp her hands together before she could summon enough strength to even squeeze a little to hug him. "I don't think I'm any better," she muttered and hid her face in the crook of his shoulder. With every little bit of energy he had he managed to roll slightly to his side, just next to her. "Don't ask me to do anything else. I'm so drained," he said. She giggled and managed to scoot up next to him in a position where he spooned her. "Why are we so zapped of energy?" He asked. She shrugged, "The mysteries of making love to an elf I guess." He pinched her side gently. "I doubt that's the reason." She rubbed her side and mumbled about stubborn males before relaxing and slowly drifting off to sleep.

The furniture slowly orbited themselves back to their original positions. Brooklyn laid with Tira curled up against him, watching the movement of the furniture and pulling the blankets to cover them up a bit, before drifting off to sleep himself. They were both asleep when Puck came knocking on the door. Tira mindlessly waved a hand and opened the door for whoever was knocking, then rolled over to tuck her head under Brooklyn's chin. "Tira?" Puck peeked in and floated to the end of the bed, looking a little peeved. "Well, isn't this a sight?" Tira's eyes snapped open and when she saw her father she groaned and pulled the covers over her head. Brooklyn didn't wake up at all and subconsciously folded his wings around Tira as she cuddled as close as she could.

"Go away dad. We're sleeping." Puck floated to one side of the bed and nudged his daughter with his foot, "Now is that anyway to talk to your father?" She just groaned again in response. "Well, if you must know I came to warn you that the three younger gargoyles are coming to see you." Tira jerk up, holding the blanket so that it covered her chest and magickally slammed the door, locking it as well. "Damn it. Brooklyn, love, wake up!" She rubbed Brooklyn's upper arm. He blearily blinked his eyes and rolled over so his back was to her and his wings tucked tightly around him. "Broooooklynnnnnn." She said in her best whining tone and crawled over his side while keeping herself covered by the blanket. She kissed his cheek and then down his beak to kiss him slowly awake. Unfortunately his sleepy mind acknowledge this as her asking for more detailed attention and rolled them so that he was laying on her and quite ready for another 'round'. Puck's expression darkened.

"Get your lover under control before I turn him into a slug, Atrianna." Tira sighed and pinched Brooklyn's side. "Ow." He moved back and blinked a few times, rubbing his eyes with one hand.

"What was that for?"

"My dad is in the room. That's what it was for." That woke him up quite thoroughly. He looked up to see Puck glowering at him.

"Crud," he said as warmth spread in an embarrassed blush. "Turn around Dad." Puck gave a theatrical sigh and turned around, floating to the ground so his feet were actually touching and he was standing on his own, his arms crossed. Tira glared at her father and muttered a spell of time freezing beneath her breath. The world around her went still and unmoving, all but for her and Brooklyn.

"Why do I feel weird all of a sudden?" He asked. Tira grabbed him and pulled him down to kiss her. His reaction hadn't ebbed much and would have been happy to oblige her sudden energy had her father not been standing right next to them. He pulled away, kissing her nose before asking, "What'd you do?" She shrugged, "Froze time." She waved a hand and her father disappeared, with him the odd feeling Brooklyn had experienced.

"Now I've put my father outside and undid the time spell. The window and door are gone too if you'll noticed." Brooklyn glanced to the right and saw that they were, in fact, gone. The only light source was a small lamp sitting on top of the dresser. He turned back to her and kissed her cheek, "We should talk to the other's if their coming. And you know your dad isn't going to be happy he got kicked out of the room." Tira sighed just as her father had a moment before, with the flare of the dramatic. "Fine. I'll bring back the door." She waved a hand towards where the door had been and before she could even get up to gather her clothes Puck burst right back into the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

"YOU CAST A TIME SPELL ON ME AND SHUT ME OUTSIDE!"

She stuck her tongue out at him and strode over to the dresser in nothing but her birthday suite, making her father falter a little and turn away. "That. Isn't. Fair." He said through gritted teeth. "I don't think she meant it like that," Brooklyn tired to coax the trickster into a better mood. A little stupid of him really. "Shall I take back that day spell? And curse you to be stone forever?" Tira was across the room before Brooklyn could even register the cruel words fully. She slapped her father quite firmly across the face. "If you were not the love of my mother and blood of my blood, I would do much worse." The trickster rubbed his cheek, "I believe you. But you have to understand Atrianna, a father hates to see her daughter and a young boy together in any romantic way."

She rolled her eyes and tossed Brooklyn his pants. The young gargoyle glared at puck, catching the pants and slipping them on carefully.

"I don't care if you are pulling the whole 'daddy of the year' gig. Don't EVER threaten me like that." His eyes were glowing, an obvious sign of when a gargoyle's temper has flared up. Tira knew the outcome of a fight between her father and her lover, but was still tempted to let them at each other so that they could get it out of their systems.

"Boys. Play nice or I'll be forced to take extra care that neither of you can do anything ever again." She lowered her chin, and let the pupils of her eyes enlarge to color even the whites of her eyes, glaring at them with a black gaze. It was the darkest of looks she could give on a voluntary basis.

Fortunately for her it scared them enough to back off and watch her with wary expressions. She pulled the black of her pupils back into place and finished dressing in the clothes that had been tossed on the dresser.

By the time she was done, Puck was sitting on air with his arms crossed in an obvious pout and Brooklyn had made the bed. It was about 4 in the morning and the gargoyles still had a couple hours till sunrise. As the three started out the door they found Lex about to knock on the door. "Hey! Elisa and Goliath are missing." Tira and Puck immediately searched the castle with magick. Tira found them a split second after her father had.

"Well," Puck started.

She clamped a firm hand over her father's mouth.

"They are having a 'discussion' somewhere secluded Lexington. I suggest they be left alone."

'They are worse than us,' Tira said magickally to Brooklyn.

"AH! DON'T SAY THAT TIRA!" Lex and Puck glared at the two.

"Using magick to tell him without telling me isn't fair," Lex complained. Puck nodded, "He's quite right. What did you say?" 'Sorry,' Brooklyn said back to her on their magickal thread. She shook her head and before either the youngest gargoyle or her father could react she had grasped Brooklyn's hand in hers and disappeared.

To Puck's dismay her bedroom door was firmly shut and locked when he turned back to go inside. "And I wanted to snoop," he whined before turning himself back into Owen. "This is the most I've had to change between forms in a while. She seems to get a flare for trouble from somewhere." A small smile quirked Owen's lips as he went down the hall, leaving Lex to fly out the nearest window. "Couldn't imagine where she would pick up such a troublesome habit," the blonde man said to himself with a small smile.


	4. Chapter 4

"Why do that fates like to play such tricks?" Tira demanded. Brooklyn shrugged, not knowing if she was talking to him or asking rhetorically. She sat down next to him. They were on the tallest part of the castle, sitting on the ledge so they could see the city."That scene with my father in my room was a little embarrassing. Are you okay?" Brooklyn covered his eyes with one hand. "I'm fine. I will agree that it was embarrassing. You probably shouldn't do that again." She nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, "Me? You were the one who tried to-," Brooklyn stopped her from going any further by grabbing her face and kissing her. She obliged him, kissing him back, then punched his shoulder when they pulled apart. "Don't think you can do that every time you want to shut me up. I'll just keep going afterwards." He laughed, "I see that."  
Then he tucked her next to him, wrapping his wings around her. She let his arm drape over her and cuddled up next to him, laying her head against his shoulder. Brooklyn felt content and felt that she too was totally fine, comforting each other by just being close. Of course he was wrong about a lot of things lately.  
"Do you want me to keep you gargoyle and turn myself into a gargoyle at night instead?" The question took Brooklyn so far off guard that he didn't speak for a few moments. "Why would you ask that?" He leaned back to peek at her face. She didn't meet his gaze. "Tira?" She shook her head and moved away, standing up and glaring at the city. He tried to see what she was looking at, but her gaze seemed a little empty and he couldn't find anything in the city that seemed disturbed.  
"Tira? What's the matter?" "I'm part human. That's what's the matter." She snarled at him and jumped off the edge. She fell, the same way they had fallen earlier in the day and lifted herself just before she hit the bottom story of the tower and flew into an open window. "Ooookay." Brooklyn muttered to himself and then took off after her.  
She was storming down the hall with solid and angry footsteps when he landed on the window ledge. Dropping down and running after her he grabbed her shoulder and pulled her around. Instead of an angry expression or other harsh words he found tears spilling down her cheeks.  
"Tira, no. No, don't cry. Please stop." He hugged her and she clung to him in an almost desperate manner. "I'm not what you want, not when I'm this way. If I'm a gargoyle instead of you being a human then we can just stay together that way. You won't have to be human for me," she was sobbing so hard that when she said this he could barely make out what she was saying. The words halted and stammered from her lips as she cried and gasped in between sobs.  
"Shush...shush, it's all right," he tried to pet her and calm her but it only resulted in her pushing away from him again and resuming her way down the halls of the castle. He followed her, not saying anything, hoping that she would just lead him to her room and he could comfort her there. As she said, though, the fates were not so kind.  
Owen came out of a doorway to the right just ahead of them. Brooklyn had a moment to think, 'oh crud' before Owen's eyes glowed red as he saw Tira's face. She didn't notice her father at first and was rather surprised when a blast of red energy went zipping around her. "What that-!?" She saw her father fly by and noticed Brooklyn dodging another attack.  
"NO!" She roared. Wings erupted from her back and she flew at her father, tackling him to the ground. Her hair was half purple and half blonde, fading into each other in stripes, but her skin stayed her human color even on the wings from her back. "You will NOT hurt him!" She growled at her father.  
The red dimmed from Puck's eyes a little, he had changed forms the minute he saw his daughter in distress. "Didn't he cause you pain? I sensed it!" She shook her head and let her father up.  
Sitting on the floor, cross-legged, she folded her wings around her and shivered.  
"No," She said meekly. Brooklyn glared at Puck, but crouched down to hold Tira. Puck returned the glare and sat down in front of her. "Then what upset you my dear?" She shook her head. "You can't help me father. This requires much knowledge of things you can not know." Her father had a moment of dismay before nodding and continued to glare at Brooklyn. "Fine. But he is to leave you to your thoughts." "No," Brooklyn and Tira said in union. Puck raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well, well, now. You two seem to be more tuned to on one another's feelings than I had thought. Fine. But seek counsel my girl, or I will take things into my own hands." He returned his form to Owen and walked out, muttering to himself.

Tira leaned against Brooklyn. "I don't know why my wings came out...or why my hair changed color. My gargoyle side almost always stays dormant." He stroked the Purple and blonde streaked hair, "When did you find out you were a gargoyle?" She glanced at him and blushed, "I fell off a tree and wings burst from me, halting my fall enough so I could land on my feet. I focused on the change and looked deeply inside, the minute I did other changes happened and I was suddenly a young gargoyle. I was able to change back and did a lot of research to figure out what I was." Tira closed her eyes and tried to will the tears away.  
"I'm sorry I'm not more gargoyle than I am Brooklyn." Brooklyn took this moment to pick her up in his arms and move into the room Owen had emerged from. It turned out to be Owen's office, but none the less Brooklyn sat Tira down in a chair and kneeled before her as he pet her face gently. She took his hand in hers and rested it against her face. "Do you want me to leave you gargoyle? I can be gargoyle instead of human or fairy." The tears welled up in her eyes, but didn't over flow onto her cheeks. He shook his head, "No. I fell in love with YOU Tira, not your form. Even if I do happen to love each one, I love them because I love YOU."  
Her wings disappeared in a twinkle of light. But her hair stayed stripped. Tira frowned at the color and brought a piece up closer to look at. "Damn. I can't push it all back any more." She tossed her hair aside and curled her knees up, sitting sideways in the chair. "I'm sorry," she said and glared at the wall, willing the urge to cry away. Brooklyn hoped up onto the back of the chair and crouched so that he could pear down at her. "Why? You didn't do anything. You were just upset." She had followed him with her eyes, but did not move. "You sure? It's okay that I got so upset?" He nodded and started to pet her hair again. It was just the texture of it, so soft and hard to resist touching. The shimmering colors kept catching his eye as well, drawing him even more to it. "It's okay Tira. Why won't your hair change back?" She shrugged and leaned back against his inner thigh. "I don't know. Usually I can firmly separate my forms into the three, but it seems I've lost a bit of my self-control. I can't keep them separated as well as I could and THIS," she motioned to her hair, "is the result."  
"I like it." She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Oh really? Well, if you can live with it, then I can too." Tira stood and started for the door, but instead of leaving she closed it. Brooklyn had a moment to wonder if she planned on bursting into tears again, or if she wanted to do something more promiscuous. 'Why would she want to HERE is beyond me though,' he thought. She had been muttering something under her breath while Brooklyn lost himself in his thoughts.  
Finally she whipped the door open and instead of the hallway, her room was beyond the door. "Wow, you've never done THAT before!" He exclaimed and peered past her into the other room. She glanced over her shoulder, smiling and walked into her room. Brooklyn hopped off the chair and followed, hoping that his evenings wouldn't be as trying as this one had proven to be. The door shut itself behind him, almost shutting on his tail. "Jeez," he held onto his tail a little defensively, glaring at the door.  
"I'm sorry," Tira said quietly. He turned back and saw her sitting on the bed. Her clothes we mended and neatly folded on her dresser. "Stop apologizing for everything. You didn't control the door and try to lock my tail in it did you?" She looked horrified at the suggestion, "No!" "Then everything is okay. All these things you're worried about are fine."  
She shook her head, "I just don't understand I guess." She had on an over sized shirt that went to the middle of her thigh and by what he could see she had discarded all under garments. He went to the dresser and slipped off his pants and shirt, placing them next to the other gargoyle tailored clothes in his drawer, knowing the magickal dresser would clean them for him. "You seem more comfortable," Tira remarked. He smiled and nodded, "You make me comfortable." He slipped into the covers of the bed and grabbed her, pulling her against him. "I think it's because I love you," he said with a kiss to her forehead.  
"Hmmm," was all she could say in her moment of blissful calm caused by his embrace.  
"Stop worrying over my attraction towards you. I fell in love with you, thinking you were human and fairy. Being gargoyle as well doesn't change anything. And I still want to be human with you, unless you're sick of being human." He kissed along her shoulder, making her cuddle closer to him. "You also need to realize that I'll follow you anywhere," he told her softly. She didn't say anything for a while, just stayed close to him and occasionally making little circles on his chest with her fingertips. "I am sick of being human, on some levels. I hate having to constantly fight for something and working so hard for nothing. I think I'd rather just live with you guys and just let patrolling be my job." His mind was becoming a little fuzzy with sleep that the warmth of her body against his was inducing. "Then you want to be gargoyle more?" She nodded against his chest. "But I want to be human and fairy too. Can I be all three? Will you love all these parts of me?" He chuckled softly, "Duh. I love you no matter what. And you'll always be all three no matter what form you pick, so it doesn't really matter what you choose because it is all a part of you. All of it is okay." He let his wings rest on the bed behind him and rested his chin on top of her head. "Thank you Brooklyn." "Uh huh," he muttered sleepily. He fell asleep with her in his arms and she fell asleep to the thrum of his heartbeat. Neither moved, even when he turned human for the day they stayed asleep.

Owen and David peeked in on the couple around noon, the door being unlocked. Her father had become anxious after not seeing either of them after the incident in the hallway. "Well, Owen, it seems you worried for nothing. She doesn't even have dried tears on her face." Owen sighed and rubbed one temple with his hand. He had left one arm frozen in stone before Tira had come, but once the fact that he was Puck and her father, she had removed the curse from him. Now he had both hands. Looking down at both mobile hands he wondered what any of them would have done without her. She helped the transition between the gargoyle's acceptance into the lives of the humans more than anyone realized. She healed so many hearts and even helped heal relationships. He had seen Detective Mazda leave earlier with an extra glow to her face and eyes, knowing what had caused that glow he also knew it was because of Tira. She caused so much good and yet was always in a fog and confused. 'I wish Maria was here', he thought. 'She'd know how to handle things and help her.' Tira had been correct when she said he couldn't help her for lack of knowledge of the subject that upset her so horribly. She was part of each three races, but could not be part of just one. It was a mix of blood and she didn't know where she belonged. No one would know how to handle that better than Maria. 'She's dead', he reminded himself. David was frowning at him and he felt a slight inclination he had missed something, then heard the buzzing of him palm-pilot. Brooklyn blinked a couple times and looked at the door, where the annoying noise was coming from. Owen and David were standing in the doorway. He was about to try and wake Tira when he saw that her eyes were already open and fixed on the two figures at the door.

'Something is about to hit the fan,' she said to him on a link. He frowned and glanced back at the two, 'What is it? How do you know?' She never adverted her gaze from them, 'I don't know how I know. I just do. And I'm not sure what it is. But something is off.' Owen frowned at his palm-pilot, then silently cursing he stuff the little gadget back into his pocket. "Mr. Xanatos I know you have a lot to do, but it seems there are important documents and a matter I should attend to. Do you think-" Owen started. "Don't worry about it my friend, I'll make sure she's okay while you go take care of whatever emergency you have to deal with." David patted Owen on the shoulder and turned back to look into the room. "Or not." Tira was standing in front of him, a look of anxiety making a line between her fair brows. "Something isn't right father." Owen frowned, "Really?" She nodded and reached into his pocket to retrieve the palm-pilot. She pressed a few buttons and ignored the quiet protest form her father when he saw that Brooklyn was emerging from her bed with only a pair of boxers on, that he had the notion she had magickally placed on him.  
"Oh come on old friend, they're a new couple. And I think she's old enough to make her own choices," David said in her defense when he noticed what the other was glaring at. He owed BOTH of these fair-haired people a lot. They had kept his son from the clutches of Oberon and Titannia, helped keep his 'empire' on its feet, and even now she was keeping doom from his doorstep. "What is it?" Brooklyn asked, coming up behind her, clothed in a pair of jeans he had fished from his drawer. Brooklyn had felt the sudden appearance of boxers on him under the covers, silently thankful for Tira's consideration. Even now he noticed that a pair of purple biker shorts had been placed underneath her over sized top, which in the light revealed to be a soft teal color.  
"Uh oh," she said. "What?" All three men asked at once. Brooklyn couldn't make sense of the codes that she had produced on the small screen, and neither of the older men had the same computer skills as she did. She was beyond hacker or program specialist. She knew codes instinctively, as if she had adapted her magic and senses to computers like a druid could tune their senses into the feelings of nature. 'A trait she got from her mother,' Owen thought fleetingly as his daughter pushed past the men and dashed down the hallway. They followed her to Owen's office where a fax was coming in. She had stopped a few paces in the doorway, her eyes wide. "Uh oh," she said again. "What is it Tira?" Brooklyn asked. But she didn't answer. "What do they say Owen?" David inquired. Owen skimmed the first page, then had to re-read it slower to make sure he wasn't mistaken. "I believe 'uh oh' would be an understatement." He grabbed the next sheet and read it as carefully as he had just done the first. There was a number scrolled on the bottom, the number of the other fax machine that papers were being received by right then. Tira darted out of the door again, Brooklyn barely able to grab her hand to keep her from leaving him behind. Then Owen followed suit, closely followed by David.  
"Would someone tell me what's going on!" David demanded. Owen shook his head, "We aren't certain, but it is NOT good news." "Great, just great," David muttered. They arrived in the larger room David used as a second office base, two sets of large doors on either side of the room. Tira was staring at some papers in her hands by the time the older men arrived. She handed the papers to her father with a frown, then sat in the computer chair to start typing away, drawing up a million windows and filing through information faster than David or Brooklyn could follow. David had a moment of confusion as a flash of a picture triggered a deep feeling of anxiety.  
"Will someone tell me what's going on?!" Owen put the papers back in order and held them out to David Xanatos. "I'm afraid sir that the castle is no longer owned by you, but instead by..." He couldn't bring himself to say it. "Who?!" David demanded. Tira brought up a picture of a girl on the computer, the image that had brought the feeling of anxiety but had been covered before recognized by other windows. "This person. I'm trying to figure out who she is. I know I've seen her name somewhere before." David couldn't stop looking at the picture for a moment then he whipped through the papers, stopping at the sight of the name. "No," he looked up at Owen, "No." Owen shook his head.

Suddenly the door opposite of them burst open. A busty brunette with barely tamed wavy rich brown hair strolled into the room. There was a similarity between her and David that her picture didn't show, which confused Tira a little. The sense of doom was growing.

"Hello there brother dear. Long time no see!" Then everything made sense.  
"Ooooh," Tira and Brooklyn chorused. Owen groaned and David dropped the papers he had been holding, a look of such shock and horror covered his face, that you would have thought the Angel of Death had just walked through the doors, since that is the only thing that could ever scare David Xanatos. "No," he said again with less conviction in his tone, sounding more like a plea than anything else.  
"Good after noon Ms. Xanatos. Or should I say Ms. Satonax?" Owen greeted her.  
The woman had on a cream colored jacket and matching skirt, trimmed in a thick embroider of gold, golden pumps and a top that looked like a fashionable corset or bustier with Chinese styled toggles to keep it closed. The bustier was the same color as the skirt and also trimmed in gold. The jacket had a high and wide color and the sleeves stopping just after her shoulders, latching at the top of her breasts was a large locket with a pearl embed into it. The jacket flared a little to about the middle of her back, proving to be more for looks than for protection against any cold air. The skirt was short and was just shy of reaching down to the middle of her thigh, showing in the slit on the left leg where her light cream stockings stopped and her skin showed. Her dark brown hair reached down to the small of her back and framed her face in tamed curls.  
She put one hand on her hip and glared at Owen.  
"Margie will do fine, Owen." How she was making the bland color of her outfit look sensual was beyond Owen.  
He had always found that whenever he met with her that she called feelings from him that hadn't been around since he had known Maria. Her full name was Marguerite Marie Xanatos. Her mother must have loved those names to risk putting duel M's in her name. She also had a very piercing gaze. Her glare just about seared right through the two older men. She had deep honey colored eyes that were flecked with the darker brown that David's eye were. They mesmerized Owen if he looked at them too long, so he focused on picking up the papers that had fallen onto the floor.  
David took a couple steps back."How? How did you do it Mags?"

Her glare intensified at the use of her long neglected nickname.  
"The man you bought the castle from was my mentor. He left everything to me. And you neglected to pay CLOSE attention to your contract with him. It was passed to me after his recent death and I noticed that among all the babble, it said that this estate was going to be used as a museum and a headquarters for your business. It was even stated that if it were to be used in any other manner that the contract would become void and that the first party would resume ownership of the castle. Now, being moi." She placed a hand to her chest, her fingers brushing against the stone. "WHAT!?" David hollered. Owen placed a hand on the other man's shoulder, as if to hold him back, or warn him of his civility level. "Margie! You thieving...I didn't know you had it in you." The last was said much more calmly and even appreciatively, if not a bit puzzled. David frowned and crossed his arms, placing a hand to his chin. "Why would you do this? You were always so intent on being your own person, being the honest one, and playing to dad's sense of 'righteousness'. Why would you do this?" She shrugged. "Honestly? I didn't mean to. I didn't want to be on the old man's will. He was just a nice man and a lovely conversationalist. I didn't realize he enjoyed the last of his days more because of my company. I also never imagined he would give me everything since he didn't have an heir or any other civil relatives." She sighed, "And the contract thing wasn't me. It was my lawyers. I let them go at everything I had inherited from the poor man. I didn't know about it. Truly I didn't. They just, well...they want to kick you out and sell this for a high profit." The horror was back on David's face, "You won't." She shook her head, "Of course I won't. You're my little brother. But I have to get these vultures off my back, so I'm going to tell them that I will be living WITH my brother and his extended family."  
David looked as if he had swallowed something vulgar and he was about to throw it back up. The green tinge to his skin only worsened when Fox came in, bouncing Alex on her hip. "Did I hear you right? Are you David's older sister?" Margie frowned and nodded, "You're Fox right?" Fox nodded and extended a hand that the other woman took. "I am. And this is Alexander." Alex cooed and made grabbing motions with his hands to Margie, who grinned and started to reach for him. She stopped and looked at Fox questioningly. "May I hold him?" Fox lifted Alex off her hip, "Of course! He IS your nephew." Then handed Alex to Margie. David's skin color had gone pale at the sight of his son, but the color had more or less returned. While Margie proceeded to bond to Alex and Fox, moving men came to talk to Owen about which room to move Margie's things to.  
The blonde man glanced at his daughter before he led the men to an empty spare room a little ways down another hall. He wondered if Tira was picking up any feelings off of Margie and that, if so, what did she think of the other woman? In fact, Tira did get a strange feeling looking at the woman.  
It was one of familiarity and warmth. A voice that had long been forgotten was suddenly used by this strange woman, calling those memories to the surface of her mind, and the scent of mint drifted to her, calling more memories that should have stayed dead from her child self's mind. This woman, who was David Xanatos' older sister, reminded Tira of her mother. Everything she did reminded her of things that she knew to be just like her mother.  
Brooklyn could sense Tira's unease and urged her to return to her room with him.

Tira left with Brooklyn, happy to be away from the strange woman. The couple went to the kitchen to eat and left everything that the storm, known as Margie, had torn up to settle back down. Margie wasn't thinking of controlling her brother's 'empire' or his way of life. But she did want to be part of it. He hadn't invited her to the wedding or to get to know her nephew and new sister-in-law. He had shut her out so long ago that the only way she could ever keep an eye on him was to become richer than he was. She accomplished this in Europe. She had always shared an interest in history with her younger brother. But where his ended up to twirl in diabolical schemes she had made friends with similar interests and large wallets, who in turn taught her how to make her wallet just as bulging. She and her brother were like water and fire, complete polar opposites. Margie never hated her brother, or disliked him, but he had always resented the attention and praise their father had given her instead of him. He used modern technology to try and gain more money and power, trying to compensate for the feelings of rejection their father had embedded deep in David. Margie knew her brother wasn't evil, like other people had a tendency to assume. He was just intense and ambitious. He was human after all. However, the pain he harbored from his childhood did mark his attitude, causing the assumption of evil easier to believe rather than think he was just a slightly troubled individual.

'He's much better now that he has a family', Margie thought. 'A little more tame and much more content. Dad really needs to let up on the boy.' She smiled at her brother, as he was stunned into immobility by the entire situation. "You okay li'l bro?" She asked him. He glared, "David. My name is David. We aren't kids anymore Margie." Margie sighed and gave Alex back to his mother. "Maybe I should just sign over a contract to you then. You obviously have such a hatred for me David. I do love you though." She turned, whipping out a cell phone from an unknown place on her person and dialed a number faster than either David or Fox could follow. Fox glared at her husband. "What?" He asked. "She's your sister. I don't know everything about you two, but that is enough don't you think? Family is the most important thing." Alex took that moment to make an adorable little noise that caught both parents' attention. He was watching his aunt sadly and then turned to look at his father. "Mine," he said and reached towards his aunt. Margie had walked to the doors, ordering her moving men on the other end of the phone line to take back out whatever they had put in and place it back in the truck. "Plans have-" she started to say before David snatched the phone out of her hand. "Put Owen on," he commanded. Margie heard the other man's voice on the other end and David walked towards the desk with the computer.

Fox smiled at Margie and motioned for the other woman to follow her. Alex kept reaching for Margie who finally caught up to Fox and took him, making noises with him and tickling him. "You're so cute," Margie told the infant who laughed, drooling a little. "You're staying here," Fox said as they had walked down a few halls and opened a door to their left, into her private office. "STAYING? But David said...well you know he completely despises me," Margie said. 'I don't know what I was expecting. I 'stole' his home from him,' she thought. 'Why would I think he'd welcome me with open arms?' "I have other places I can live. He won't have to deal with me, since we run in different circles and my name is different from his." Fox crossed her arms and tilted her head to one side. "He loves you. He keeps an old picture from your childhood of him and you. He doesn't know I know about it, so don't tell him. But he wants you here just as much as he wants everyone else. We've kind of made an odd family here. Including the clan, who 'own' this place more than any of us." Margie nodded still cooing at Alex and making him giggle with joy. "Thank you." Margie sat down in a plush chair and bounced Alex a little. Fox sat in her chair across the large desk. "There are still a few gargoyles scattered across Europe, so tonight will not be my first meeting with one," Margie told Fox. Alex was apparently due for a nap and decided to curl up in the arms of his new aunt. He could sense the kindness of the woman and sense the comforting magickal energy coming from her. She reminded him of his teacher Puck and his other play mate Tira. So he was able to fall asleep in comfort within the new person's embrace. Neither of the women could have known what he was thinking or feeling, but if they had it would have helped prepare everyone a little better.  
"Then you'll fit in perfectly, though I think the clan will want to know about the other gargoyles you've met." Margie thought about the two she had met in Italy. They had mentioned a girl from New York, who had white blonde hair and fair skin. She could do magick and turn into a gargoyle. She was the one who had save them from a terrible fate and had helped them learn the ways of civility, told them what they were and tried to teach them as much of their race's culture as she could. They said to look for the girl if she ever had a chance. The girl went by the name of Atrianna. Margie handed the sleeping child to Fox.  
"Do you know anyone by the name of Atrianna?" The name had been familiar and conjured whispers of memory that fled whenever Margie tried to grasp more firmly on them. The feelings she got were of pain, loss and hope. She got these feelings a lot when she moved to Europe and started to delve herself into the history of the lands she was visiting. It all brought back those whispers that she could never catch, but pursued relentlessly. "Atrianna? You mean Tira? She lives here. She's...well, she's special." Fox frowned at the woman, "How do you know her?" "I was told by a couple friends that she lived in New York. Apparently she helped them out. They said to contact her if I ever came to the Big Apple and introduce myself." Fox still looked suspicious but stood and motioned for the other woman to follow her. There were so many staircases and hallways that Margie thought she would never be able to find her way back.  
"Here we are, this is her room," Fox said and knocked on the door. Margie heard a thud inside the room, followed by a man's voice apparently cursing then the laughter of a girl. Laughter, that seemed so familiar and made her heart ache. 'What the hell is up with me?' Margie thought. 'I can't be having a heart attack. Shit, I hope not.' The door swung open, revealing a girl with white blonde hair, streaked with shades of purple. She was dressed in a silver tank top and matching pajama shorts.  
What made Margie's heart seem to skip a beat, were the girl's eyes. The gargoyles had mentioned that her eyes were extraordinary. However, this feeling of lightheadedness should not have resulted from just seeing her eyes, no matter how unique they were. The world started to dim and darkness crept into the corner of vision until the world went completely black. Margie had fallen in a dead faint after seeing Tira's eyes.  
What no else had noticed was that Margie's eyes had changed color just before she passed out. No one but Tira, that is.  
Tira saw the change in the other woman's eyes and felt as if she would faint herself and immediately dropped to her butt and leaned forward, putting her head in her hands.  
"Brooklyn, take this woman to her room for me," Tira said. The closet door opened to reveal Margie's room. Men were putting a few boxes out of the way of any walking space. They all turned to the opened door that was supposed to lead to a closet and watched Brooklyn come in with their employer, setting her carefully on the bed. Fox followed and glared at the workers. "Are you done?" She asked them tersely. They nodded. "Then get out." They all scrambled for the door and darted around Owen who looked completely baffled. Fox handed Alex to him, "Take care of him please." Then shooed him and the moving men down the hall and closed the second door shut.  
Brooklyn ran back to Tira after putting Margie gently on the bed. He grabbed the girl's outstretched hand and helped her to her feet and into the chair to her desk.  
Fox walked calmly into the room, shutting the door to Margie's with a soft click. She put her hands on her hips, "What in the world was that about?" Tira struggled to put her thoughts back in order, fighting the dizziness the encounter had caused.  
"She is more," was all she could say. With a little growl of frustration and sickness Tira waved a hand at the door.

A mirror appeared, mounted on the door. Brooklyn and Fox stared in horror as Oberon's face came into view within the mirror.  
"What is it dear grand child?" He asked, not even looking at the other occupants of the room. "You are ill and unsettled. Who should I kill?" Tira smiled ruefully, pulling Brooklyn behind the chair she was sitting in.  
"No one grandpa Obey, I just had a strange encounter. Do souls reincarnate?" The question seemed to come out of the blue to Fox and Brooklyn, but Oberon's facial expression was one of intrigue. "Who have you met?" Tira shook her head, "I will not say while Grandma Tany can hear, I will not have death on my hands because of this." Fox was afraid that Tira had overstepped her bounds with The King of the Fairies, until he bellowed for Titannia. He cast a spell to deafen and silence on his wife, ignoring her protests and motioned for Tira to continue.  
"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience this will all cause you grandpa Obey, but the precautions must be taken. I have encountered someone whom Titianna will wish to kill, as she did many eons ago." Things seemed to fall into place with that last statement, Oberon's face lightened with understanding and sympathy while Fox gave a gasp and wrenched her gaze from the mirror to the sad girl in the chair. "NO! Really?" Brooklyn was frowning and looking from one face to another, but when he finally looked at Tira his heart gave an extra leap at the torn expression she had on her face, giving his mind an extra boost to comprehend what was being implied. "Oh!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Your mother has been reborn then?" Oberon asked, just to make sure they were all assuming correctly. Tira nodded, but could not bring herself to say anything. Oberon nodded and glared at something beyond the limits of the mirror, "Would you stop doing that? You're giving me a dreadful headache, my love." Tira giggled and covered her mouth with both her hands, muffling the sob that tried to come out after the giggle. Fox hugged the younger girl and petted her hair soothingly. "It's all right Tira. Nothing will happen. We'll keep Titianna from hurting her. I'm sure Owe...Oh crap." Fox had gone still. Tira's eyes widened in horror and she dropped her hands. "Father...what will we do about him? I can't go around her! That's obvious after she faints and I almost keel over after her! So what if he has the same effect on her if he's in his normal form? What are we going to do grandfather?" Oberon shook his head with a graceful shrug. "You must hide your eyes from her. I think that will trigger anything within. And as long as he parades around in that ridiculous human form, they will BOTH go about unknowingly until something can be thought up. Though, I'm thinking I forgot something about your mother and father...I just can't remember." He put a hand to his chin and frowned. Fox let go of Tira so Brooklyn could hold her. He seemed to calm her more. Tira played with his hair as she sat pondering all these new things. "Well that can't be helped. I'll remember eventually," Oberon waved a hand dismissing the whole thing. "Just avoid the situation my dear, simple as that. Titannia would you stop trying to electrocute me? It's rather annoying!"  
The mirror disappeared in a puff of smoke. "Well," Fox said, "Can you cast a spell so your eyes look different?" Tira nodded and moved a hand over her face. Her eyes were blue after her hand passed over them. "Do you like this color?" Tira asked Brooklyn. He shrugged, "Personally I like your eyes the way they are, but this is a good second." She hugged him. "Good answer." David burst through the door, "What's happening? Owen is a mess, saying that Oberon is here." Fox shook her head and gently started to push her husband back out of the room, following him. "No, Tira just needed to talk to him real quick about something. I'll tell you later, it's nothing you need to worry about." "Where's Margie?" David asked. "In her room asleep, let's go get Alex from Owen, so he can do his job. And maybe we should talk about him not changing forms in front of Margie and..." The rest of what she was going to say was muffled as she shut the door behind them.

Tira heaved a big sigh and walked over to the window. "  
Which mom is she? Your birth mother or..." Brooklyn trailed off, not knowing what to call the woman who had actually raised Tira and kept her safe while living in the city. "My other mom...no, it's my birth mom. Her name was Maria. What my grandfather meant by my eyes is that it was the unique thing that was strong in those days, between the clans of druids. My mother had them as well, that's how I knew Margie was her, her eyes changed briefly when she looked into mine just before she passed out. I think the blue will keep her from passing out like that again, but not enough to keep all the old stuff from creeping around under the surface. I still look like me and I won't be able to go between forms as usual."  
Tira tilted her head to one side, a thoughtful look on her face. "Elisa is calling," she said. Brooklyn arched an eyebrow, "Why?" She grabbed his hand, "Let's find out." Then used magick so that they faded through the wall and window to fly above the city towards Elisa's apartment. Brooklyn didn't even get a chance to protest before they were in the air, gliding by magick. "I hate it when you do that," he told her firmly, but she only laughed and led them in a dive to the balcony of Elisa's apartment. Elisa was waiting for them in the window.  
"You left your bike here," she told them as they landed. "I completely forgot!" Brooklyn all but shouted and ran through the apartment and out the front door. Tira and Elisa laughed. "He's so funny when he's got something he obsesses over. I'm just glad I put that protection spell on it," Tira commented idly. Elisa walked into the kitchen, "Want a pop?" "Sure!" Elisa came back out and handed Tira a soda, sitting across from her in a plush chair. The two girls sat together with their sodas and the awkward silence made them laugh again. "How'd it go?" Tira asked, finally. Elisa blushed, a rare thing to see. "Fine. I didn't think it'd go exactly as it went, but it's good. We're good." She took another drink of her soda and almost spit it out. "Your eyes are blue!"  
Tira nodded sadly, "David's sister came to the castle with the contract for the castle. It turns out he didn't read the fine print and she legally owns it. The big thing, which is why I have to change my eye color, is that she's the reincarnation of my mom." Tira took a sip, a smile in her eyes at the look of Elisa's astonishment. Brooklyn took that moment to come back upstairs. "It's okay, nothing dinged or...what's the matter?" He looked from one to the other, confused by Elisa's shocked expression. Elisa turned that look to Brooklyn. "Her mom's REINCARNATED?" Brooklyn laughed and nodded, glad that was all that had alarmed her. "Yep." He sat down on the other side of Tira, who offered him her soda. He took a drink and they both watched Elisa process all this with amusement. Eventually Elisa just glared at them, "You don't have to find it so funny that this totally blows me out of the water." That just made them laugh."You two seem to be okay, how are things so far with you?"  
Brooklyn grinned, "Being human is fun! And it's even better with the fact that I can be a gargoyle too." Tira wrinkled her nose at the question with a smile."I did have my moments of doubt and emotional upheaval." Brooklyn kissed her cheek, hoping to take away the little undertone of sadness. Elisa made a circling gesture with her hand, "What doubts? You guys have everything settled right? You're both gargoyle and human now, and you can live any way you want." Tira shrugged, "I just didn't know if the human part was okay. It seemed...wrong of me." She still sounded as doubtful and forlorn as before. This caused Brooklyn to groaned and took the soda out of Tira's hands, put it on the table and take her hands in his. "Would you stop being so upset about all that? I've already told you a bunch of times that it's more than okay."  
Elisa laughed, "She can't. I guess I'm not surprised, she is a worrying kind of girl." The older woman patted Tira's knee, "It's okay to feel weird about it, just remember he's happy and you'll be able to make those doubts disappear." Tira arched a brow at her. "You sound like you know form experience." Elisa shook her head, "Not tonight. Maybe we'll talk about it another time." Elisa eventually had to go to work and the three of them left the building together, parting ways once they reached the door leading out of Elisa's apartment building. Tira summoned both their helmets and raced Brooklyn to the bike.

While they drove about town, Tira sitting behind Brooklyn with her arms wrapped around his waist, he was able to once again take in the sites of daytime New York. "People are a little more friendlier during the day it seems," he said when they stopped to grab hot dogs for lunch. "The usual grouch of New York, but still...not as hostile." Tira shrugged, "The nicer people are out and about during the day. The night is a time where you can hide and get away with things easier. So the crueler side of society comes out then." He nodded and wiped off the ketchup that had smeared on her cheek. "Thanks," she muttered around a mouthful. Brooklyn laughed and wolfed down the rest of his hot dog, kicking over the bike and headed out into the traffic while Tira held on with one hand and ate the last of her hot dog.

They went to the Brooklyn Bridge, just because he'd never seen it in the light, and went by the fancier outlets. Things were so much different in the daylight that Brooklyn couldn't help but want to see everything at once after getting an initial taste of things in daylight. Tira suggested other sites, which led them to a couple parks so they could checked out the statues and such. Tira used her magick to hide them and the noise the bike made, so they could drive through the park unnoticed. "When did you learn how to make yourself and other things invisible?" Brooklyn asked as they stopped by a fountain. "After I met you guys." He turned around to look at her, surprised. "Really?" Once they had gotten into the park and she had used the invisibility to keep them unnoticed they had also removed their helmets so they could talk to each other easier.  
"Yep, I didn't learn a lot of magick until I started to stay with you and The Clan more. I think being around you all just helped my subconscious wake up a little more and show me what to do for certain results." She grinned, "Then there is the fact that we've had a lot of..."she paused to search for the word. "Adventures, that required some instinctive reacting. I played with what I did instinctively later. So I kind of learned by mistake you know?"  
He nodded, "That's how everyone learns, by making mistakes first. How do you know what is right unless you make the wrong move first? Then there's the fact that we're all naïve at first and have to learn when things others do is wrong or right." She pinched his side. "Ow! What was that for?" "You keep telling ME not to get sad or anything then you go all gloomy poet on me! I thought I'd remind you that you're still here, instead of inside your head with Shakespeare and Plato." He blushed, "Put your helmet on, if we crash I don't want your skull smashed in." Then he firmly placed his own helmet on, as if that would stop her from looking so deeply into him. 'Not that I find it uncomfortable,' he thought. 'I just don't want her to get upset again.' Tira was laughing and putting on her helmet when they started back towards home, the sun was close to setting again.

Oh how the day goes by.

While the couple had been out Margie had woken up to a worried David. "Sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me," she said to her brother. "Maybe you just need to eat something," David suggested. She raised an eyebrow, "Does it have drugs in it that will cause me some ill infliction or mutation?" David feigned an exaggerated, theater worthy, expression of pain, a hand over his heart. "That hurts Marge. Truly." They both laughed and Margie drank the mug of soup that David offered her. "Knew you wouldn't like it if I put it in a bowl," David said with a smile. Margie nodded, "And I know that if I ever had to entertain you I'd have to pull out the fine china." She shrugged, "We're different David. No big deal and not all that uncommon. At least we have SOME things in common. That's more than what some siblings can ever say."

He nodded and patted his sister's knee. "Owen's around here somewhere, so if you need anything give him a ring." He handed her a card with his, Owen's and Fox's number on it. "The others don't really carry cell phones, to my dismay. So you'll have to figure out a way to adapt to the ways of this place." He stood up and just before he shut the door he winked at her. "I don't think I've seen him this human since we were kids," Margie said to herself. "Everyone here must be pretty special if they can cause such a change in him." Little could she realize how special the whole situation really was, or how seriously her life was really about to change.

David stopped by the nursery to see Fox working on her laptop, watching over Alex as he slept. "Hey," he said softly. Fox glanced up, smiled and closed the lid of her laptop with a quiet click. Alex didn't stir once from his deep slumber, as his parents left the room. "Are you sure that we shouldn't tell Owen about Margie?" David asked as they walked down the hallway. Fox shook her head. "No. She may be the reincarnation of someone, but she is still Margie. This is going to be hard for her and it would be easier if he found out after she did. That way the transition for her won't be as rocky and he won't have to hold back. All in all it's better for everyone." David sighed, "Yes. I owe Owen though."

Fox glared at her husband. "You'd be doing him a bigger favor by not telling him," she said firmly. He leaned towards his redheaded love and kissed her temple. "All right. I'll do as you request. Just keep an eye out okay?" She rolled her eyes, but kissed him lightly before heading down the hall ahead of him. "I do anyway. Won't be much of a difference," she said over her shoulder.


	5. Chapter 5

Tira and Brooklyn drove up and she sent the bike to where Xanatos kept his vehicles, that way it wouldn't be harmed by anyone looking to highjack it or its parts.

"Do you think my father will really stop switching back and forth between forms, just because Xanatos' sister is here?" Brooklyn shrugged, "I don't know. I do think we better be ready for a lot of weird things tonight." Tira sighed and nodded, following her beloved inside.

"I kind of feel torn," she said softly, waving at the guard as they made their way inside. "I'm excited about having my biological mother being reincarnated and here, in the same building as me, but-" She stopped and sigh, at a loss as to how to continue. Brooklyn glanced at her, taking her hand to rub his thumb over her knuckles in silent comfort.

"I want it but I also wish it hadn't happened," Tira finally managed to whisper. Brooklyn only nodded, not knowing what to say. When they arrived at the elevator Tira gave it a wary glance.

"Can we just fly back up?" She pleaded, bringing a grin to the other's face.

"Nope. You have to ride the elevator." Tira groaned and struggled half-heartedly as Brooklyn dragged her into the opened doors.

"I HATE these things," she grumbled unhappily as the doors closed with a ding.

"Well, I hate the way you free fall half the time. So I think we're even," Brooklyn retorted and kissed her cheek. She stuck her tongue out at him and proceeded to pout, while watching the numbers light up at each floor.

"Oh god I can't take it!" Tira lifted a hand and snapped her fingers, with a slight pop the two found themselves in one of the upper hallways, close to where Tira's room was. Brooklyn sighed, "At least you didn't fly us up." She glanced at him, sidelong, and started down the hallway, in the direction of Owen and David's offices, hoping to find one of them.

"You're a gargoyle," she called back. "You're SUPPOSED to enjoy flying." Brooklyn shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her, "I do, but only when I have wings." Tira hesitated, waiting for Brooklyn to catch up before she latched onto his left arm.

"Fine. I promise not to free fall and just do basic teleporting spells instead of zooming about in the sky. Okay?" She fluttered her eyelashes at him and grinned. He chuckled and nodded, "Deal."

"Atrianna, what brings you here?" Owen asked, stepping out from his office into the hallway.

"Dad! You can't change in front of Margie! And what did Grandfather Oberon mean when he said there was something specific about you and mom?" Owen stared at the girl before him for a few moments, completely caught off guard by all the questions. Tira cocked an eyebrow at him, "Answering me any time soon?" Brooklyn rolled his eyes and patted Owen's shoulder, "Just try to focus on one first. The rest will just fall out." Owen narrowed his eyes at the hand touching him; stifling the urge to lash out and calmly tried to remember what the questions were. 'Girl has a horrible habit of catching me completely off guard,' he thought.

"Why can't I change in front of Margie, besides the obvious reason?" Tira shrugged, then said with a mischievous grin, "I can only tell you if you answer my second question." Owen now narrowed his eyes at his daughter, "That's my line. You can't have it." Her grin just got bigger and she teetered back and forth on her heels in a childlike way. The lights above them glimmered on the purple in her hair and caught Owen's eye.

"Problems with your powers?" She shook her head, letting her hair fly every which way so the purple would glimmer more.

"Nope. Now answer my question and I'll answer yours." Brooklyn turned slightly to hide his own grin at the scene being played out in front of him.

"You, my dear, don't need to know anything about...," Owen started, but trailed off at the glare Tira was giving him. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I will not tell you a thing, until you give me good enough reason to." "Yeah, but, see that's where the tricky part is. I can't give you good reason to tell me what I want to know until you tell me. I can give you my solemn vow I'll tell you though." Owen walked past the two and kept down the hallway. When they thought he wasn't going to say anything and just ignore them he called back, "Better start promising Atrianna." The grin that had slowly started to melt off her face was back in full force as she trotted down the hall swearing up and down and on all sorts of things, that Brooklyn couldn't keep track of it all.

"Is it a good idea to tell him though?" Brooklyn asked her softly when it seemed she was done. She nodded and took his hand, "It's not fair to keep something like this a secret. Of course it's all fun and games when used to get what we need." She winked at him.

"So spill, what was so special about you and mom?" Tira and Brooklyn had followed Owen into David's office and back to his before she'd dared even try to bring up the subject again. She didn't want anyone to know what she was going to do. 'People have a tendency to think they know what's best,' she thought idly, 'and then they forget I know more than they could ever imagine.' A small smile slipped itself onto her face. Brooklyn frowned slightly at the strangely serene smile on his love's delicate lips. 'Stop thinking about her lips Brooklyn,' he told himself.

"There truly isn't much to 'spill', my dear." Owen put the paperwork he had in his hands into a filing system and then sat back in his desk's chair. He motioned for the two to sit.

"Would mom be able to recognize you the way you look now?" Again, she caught Owen off guard.

"You really need to stop asking such outrageous things out of the blue, Atrianna. And what makes you ask that?" Tira plopped down in one of the 'guest' chairs across from her father and crossed her arms as she glared at him.

"You're supposed to answer MY questions first before I can even answer one of yours." He nodded, "All right, fine."

Owen moved his hands in a vague gesture towards the top of his desk. Lights began to form and twinkle along the surface, slowly solidifying to make a small grove of large oak and willow trees surrounding the edge of what looked like to be a shore of a lake. On the edge sat a small gargoyle girl that looked a lot like Tira in her own gargoyle form. The colors were darker, richer and the wings were a bit different, as well as the end of the tail having a small spiked ball. Tira's own tail ended in a graceful tapered end, not much different than a snake's. From the shadows a tall, cloaked form emerged.

You could hear the waves of the lake and knew that the young gargoyle didn't hear the approaching cloaked figure. The moon suddenly burst forth from a clouded, shaded sky and the gargoyle looked up, showing that her eyes were identical to Tira's. The young couple knew now that it was Tira's mother, Maria, who was sitting on the edge of the lake. 'Then the figure must be father,' Tira thought.

Owen watched the scene playing out in front of them with solemn eyes and a forlorn frown furrowing his brows. The figure put back it's hood and revealed a much older and regal looking Puck, much different from the more petite trickster everyone had gotten used to.

"This was not long after we had be exiled into the human realm, forms were still being played with then. I looked a lot different than now," Owen said. Tira leaned in farther to examine the miniature of her father. His ears were smaller and only slightly pointed; his eyes were the same, as well as the shape of his face. The cheekbones still high and nose still long and graceful, but the hair was tamed in a shorter style in the front and braided in the back.

"You were taller," Brooklyn said with a frown. Owen nodded, "By a foot or so I believe. Back then fey were either too small or too tall in the eyes of man, so when we started to show ourselves to the humans we chose the figures to best command power over them. But I never wanted to overpower her, no..." He trailed off in a dreamlike manner.

The small Puck took the final steps to the edge of the water, letting his presence be known by the gargoyle girl gazing at the moon. She didn't act startled as one would have thought she would have, but merely smiled up at him, "I was wondering when you would come out." Puck arched an eyebrow, questioningly, at her.

"Why not just call to me?" She shrugged, "For the same reason you don't force anything else. Everything has its own pace. You wanted to come to me, but you had to take your own time to do it. I've felt you watch me for the past few nights, is there something you wished to ask me?" He shook his head, "No. I usually stay on the other side of the lake, to be alone. But I saw you a while ago and couldn't stop my curiosity. What are you? I've seen you transform into other shapes and forms, speak to animals and plants as if they were people. I don't know anyone who can do all this." She shrugged, "Easy. I'm a mix. Half my clan is mixed blood. Part druid, magical humans strongly connected to all life and part gargoyle, beings of the sky. I can go from one to the other in form, because I have my mother's help. She keeps me safe. I fear that soon it will not be enough." Her words seemed to trouble the other but none the less he sat down next to her and they stayed like that for a bit before the little image started to fade and sparkle out of existence.

"You see? I was very different." Owen had turned away from them, facing the window at his back, while the conversation held by the little magickal miniatures kept the couple's attention occupied.

"Father..." Tira said softly, wanting to reach out to him, but kept her hands to herself. "Thank you for showing me that." Owen nodded and turned back to face his daughter.

"Will you tell me now why you needed to know that?" She shook her head, "Not yet. I have to take care of things first." At the enraged look she held up her hands to silence him, "You were the one who chose to show me all of that. A simple yes or no answer would have sufficed. Thank you for showing me that though, it answers other questions I didn't know I had to ask. Puzzle pieces have been given to me and now I know where they go." She stood and went behind the desk to kiss Owen softly on the cheek, "Now I have to go make sure I have the other pieces before I fetch you and yours." The sun had gotten low on the horizon as they had watched the small magickal display of the past, in about a half-hour the sun would set and the gargoyles would break free of their stone forms.

"We have other things to attend to," Tira said and made sure to give her father eye contact.

"If you figure out the puzzle on your own that is one thing, but none of us can intervene yet, it is not time." Owen stared at the blue eyes that bore into his heart and recognized the warning in his daughter's words.

"I'll wait. You have the same way of seeing more than there is to see, just like your mother." Tira smiled and then headed for the door, "Let's roll Brooklyn. We have to meet the clan and make sure Goliath doesn't have a heart attack when he realizes Margie knows about the other gargoyles."

Brooklyn had been watching the exchange between father and daughter, wondering if words were being exchanged mind to mind that he couldn't hear, until Owen had said that last little bit. He nodded at Owen and ran after Tira.


	6. Chapter 6

The couple wound their way through the maze of halls and stairs until they found themselves on the landing where the gargoyles were stone. Elisa was waiting there and waved when the two emerged, "Hey guys. Going tell the others about David's sister or your mom?" Tira shrugged, "Both I think, eventually, but whichever comes first and is most convenient. Heck, if you'll tell Goliath for me, I'd be more than grateful." Elisa laughed but nodded, "Sure, if you don't think you can I will." There were steps from behind and the three turned to find David standing with his sister, her hand on his arm. "Just like those two," Margie said softly, walking over to the closest gargoyle and examining it without touching. "Where did those clothes come from?" David asked Tira. "Why do you automatically turn to me? Ask Elisa or Brooklyn!" Tira folded her arms and sat against the wall, as far away from Margie as she could comfortably get. Brooklyn turned to David, "Tira made them. I don't think she's quite comfortable with things yet. I'm taking her inside." Brooklyn motioned for Tira to come take his hand, but his idea to get her as far away from Margie before he started to change back to his gargoyle form failed as the last bit of sun dipped below the horizon. Tira's eyes widened and her mouth formed a small oh as Brooklyn was lifted up off the ground with magic, his wings looking as if they were moving under the skin of his back to get to the surface. His skin started to change color and his face started to blur as the magic took over the features. Elisa moved to stand in front of him, as if to block any view Margie could have of him, but David's sister was too busy being pulled back by David himself while cracks formed in the stone shells of the other gargoyles. All the activity and the fact that she no longer wore heals and David's shoulder was firmly placed between her and the spatter of stone as the gargoyle clan of New York broke free from their daylight slumber, roaring and stretching, she really couldn't see anything let alone Brooklyn's transformation from human to gargoyle.

Tira felt a pull from her gargoyle self as she watched her beloved kneel next to her, stretching his wings to their fullest. She shook her head firmly, pushing all feelings away and muttered a quick spell to switch the clothing Brooklyn was wearing, hoping Margie hadn't seen anything. When she saw the awe struck look on the other woman's face, Tira knew she hadn't seen anything but the waking gargoyles. Goliath was greeted by a cautious Elisa, while Bronx promptly hopped down from his perch to sniff and scent the new comer. Margie was grinning from ear to ear as she quietly stood still for the gargoyle dog to complete his inspection and was to the point of giggles when greeted with affectionate licks of approval all over her face. Tira made sure to not look at the other woman, "Are you all right?" Brooklyn glanced up and nodded, dipping his wing around her to block her from view. "Let's leave before things get sticky," he said as he slipped an arm under her legs and, with his love in grasp, took off from the ledge and glided around the other side of the building. "Hey…" Lexington half wined, "Where are those two going? They didn't even say hi." Angela patted Lexington's shoulder sympathetically. "Well let's just go after them ok?" She and Lex went the way they saw Brooklyn go, leaving the others to the mercy of the excited multi-corporate owner's sister.

"Who be this? Another of your 'assistants' Xanatos?" Hudson demanded, pointing at Margie. David chuckled, "No, no, my dear Hudson. This is my sister…" He was cut off by Margie shouldering past him to extend her hand in greeting to the older Gargoyle. "Hi, my names Marguerite, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm David's sister." Hudson carefully shook the woman's hand, "They call me Hudson." She beamed at him and then offered a hand to Goliath and in turn, Broadway and even Elisa. "You have no idea how wonderful it is for me to finally meet you. I met a couple of gargoyles in Italy that spoke fondly of a female of your clan. They said something about violet eyes. I'd love to meet her as well." Goliath frowned at the motions David was making behind Margie's back. Elisa touched his arm, "There are some things that I have to tell you guys first. Gargoyle private matters, I'm sorry Marguerite, David. I'm sure the entire clan would love to visit after we settle everything." Goliath nodded, "It was a pleasure to meet Marguerite. We won't be gone long." The last remaining gargoyles flew off, leaving Bronx to be loved on by Margie. "Do ye think Bronx's attention will keep her busy?" Hudson asked? Elisa nodded, and tried to look at him from Goliath's hold. "I have to tell you who she really is before we go back." Broadway swooped up closer, "You mean she isn't really Xanatos' sister?" "No, she is," Elisa amended, "But she is also a reincarnation of a very important person." Goliath hadn't stopped frowning, "I sensed magic in her. She has the same air as Tira and Puck do. But it's small and the static isn't as strong." Elisa blinked, startled and looked up at Goliath. "You can sense magic?" He smiled, "Being around it for so long you begin to feel its presence, or lack of." Broadway started looking around, "Did you guys see where Lex and Angela flew off to?"

In the castle Lexington and Angela had followed Brooklyn and Tira to a large window that lead into a lower hallway of the castle. "Wait for us!" Lex called. Tira glanced up but still dropped from the window before the others could reach it. Brooklyn looked at his friends and shrugged, jumping down to land next to Tira. She had sat down under the window, pulled her legs up to hug to her chest while also burying her face behind her knees. He hair hung down, streaked with colors that glimmered in the lights. Angela landed first and hopped down as well, "What's wrong?" "The new woman who came to see you wake up, the one with Xanatos, is his sister. But she's also the reincarnation of Tira's biological mother," Brooklyn answered, but never looked away from his beloved. "What upset you?" "I wanted to change tonight as well. I wanted to every night. And now...because of the instability of the whole situation I can't do anything. I have to hide behind different eyes and never show my other forms." She lifted her head to rest her chin on her knees and gazed at Angela. "I don't know what to do about her. And I can't get straight answers from my family." Angela peered closer to look at the new shade of Tira's eyes, frowning. "You shouldn't have to hide yourself." Lexington was crouched on the windowsill, but reached down and gently touched a color part of Tira's hair. "What happened to your hair?" "Magic went crazy with my moods earlier. I can't change it back." Brooklyn gently nuzzled her and rubbed her arm soothingly. "We can figure this out, Tira. And we'll do it soon. Then you can feel the wind beneath your wings." Tira wrinkled her nose, "That was so corny." All four laughed and headed down the hallway.

While these things happened in New York, more disastrous things were happening in Avalon. Tatiana was raining lightning on Oberon, while he mildly deflected it arguing with her as if he couldn't care less about whatever the topic was. Unfortunately he had come to care a great deal about the topic, which seemed to have just made his bored tone more enraging to his wife. "You fool! I destroyed the human druids because they were a threat to Avalon and the balance of nature! They were abominations of this world! It is what sparked my disgust for the human race in the first place!" She was more or less shouting now, in tune with the thunder that rumbled with the lightning she threw at the Fairy King. "There are no more Druids, my dear. There is only Tira. The reincarnation of any Druid spirit will not resurrect any abilities. They have to be granted by another Druid, bless if you wish to call it." Oberon reached out and took his wife's hand, leading her to a chair and sat her down. He then kneeled and patted both her hands as he put them in her lap. "The gargoyles are dead, as you asked before. But this is what made us have a divorce the first time. You need to understand that humans are necessary, no matter what they are, to the balance of this world. Not only nature, but the world and dimension we live in." Tatiana sighed, irritably. "I know. I am overreacting. Just as I did those thousands of years ago, but I can not help myself when it comes to this subject. When it comes to these people I am so thoroughly vexed that I find my calm unreachable." Her hands clenched tightly in her lap, sparks coming from all around her. "They manipulate the earth, constrict the plants and just turn the whole earth inside out without realizing the consequences and not atoning for the damage done." Oberon frowned, "Do we not do the same thing?" She shook her head firmly, "We do not leave everything strewn about hazardously and most time we summon, not just manipulate." Oberon's frown deepened. "Where did you learn such things, my jewel?" Tatiana frowned, "I...can't remember." Queen and King frowned at one another in worry. "Maybe, there is more to this than we originally suspected," King Oberon said. Tatiana nodded and stood up with Oberon and opened a portal, "Shall we travel and find out the truth?" Oberon nodded and stepped through the brightly lighted rip in time and space.


	7. Chapter 7

"You know I can just bring out my own wings and you won't have to carry me right? We're far enough from the castle that we don't have to worry," Tira said tiredly from Brooklyn's arms. They were flying over central park with Angela in tow. Lexington had gone back to fetch Broadway and the others. "I like holding you," Brooklyn said softly. Tira could hear the female gargoyle chuckle under her breath as she steered off towards one of the larger trees, aiming to land. Brooklyn followed suit and they all sat in the tree, watching the sky and keeping an eye on the park. "I wish the humans had an easier time accepting us," Angela remarked as she watched a couple of hooded teens with an apprehensive gaze. Tira could feel the knot in her stomach twist a little, "Humans are hard to understand. We adjust to such weird circumstances with grace, and then other times we destroy anything that we figure could be hazardous to our life or lifestyles. It's an aversion to change by an easily adaptable sentient being, so of course it's..." she trailed off at the sight of the two gargoyle's odd expressions. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say anything offensive," Tira mumbled and leaned her head against the tree.

From the branch across from them Angela reached out and gently rubbed Tira's upper arm. "That isn't what we were thinking," the female gargoyle said quietly. Brooklyn gently took hold of Tira's waist and brought her up against his chest, "You are insightful and sometimes produce wisdom beyond your age." Tira giggled, "I'm technically older than you by a couple thousand years Brooklyn." He chuckled and hugged her tightly. Angela smiled and with the longing of a lover separated from her partner, started watching the skies more. Broadway and Lexington came into view just before the hooded teens that had been meandering through the park came back with more and started to get rowdy.

Angela embraced Broadway while Lex received a hug from Tira, who had resumed her seat on the branch next to Brooklyn. She had to stand up to reach the smallest gargoyle on the branch above her. Broadway's weight started to lean the tree a little, "Uh, I think I'm gonna scope out the park and make sure no one's around to get mugged. You coming Angela?" She nodded, glancing once at Tira's withdrawn expression. Lex was petting Tira's hair, anxious over the half human he considered to be a sister. "You don't seem like you're doing okay Tira," Lex said tentatively. She glanced up at the little gargoyle and gave a small smile, "Distracted is all." Brooklyn leaned out, peering at the group of teens more closely. "They look familiar," he muttered half to himself. Tira used magic to focus her gaze and zoom in on the faces of the teenagers. They all were wearing headbands under their hoods, with the mark of the hammer on it.

"We need to leave," she said quietly, wings suddenly burst from her back. "Stay together. Once we're in the air and far enough away, I'll just do a full summons of Angela and Broadway." Lexington looked alarmed and confused, but Brooklyn's eyes had gone shadowed as he glanced back at the group of teens. "They're here for us, aren't they?" Tira nodded, grabbing her love's hand and pulling him with her as she took off. Both quickly dived and glided around and through the trees farther away from the teens, before pulling out of the cover and further up. They caught a good gust and easily glided upwards. Tira was mutter and glowing as they rose up in the sky. Then with a large popping sound Angela and Broadway were suddenly flying in front of them. "What the heck just happened?!" Broadway half yelled. Angela slowed up to Tira and waited for an answer. "They had the hammer on headbands. They were there waiting for US not to mug someone." Angela's eyes widened with alarm and she quickly grabbed up Broadway's arm as he made to turn around. "We should go back and teach them a lesson! We're not something to HUNT." Lexington was shaking his head, "There were at least half a dozen and you know they have weapons." Tira muttered under her breath and a glow started around all gargoyles. They were suddenly flying just over the castle, "I think it best that we remove temptation and call the police to have that little 'gathering' be taken care of. Hate groups are not tolerated in these days," the half human girl stated quietly but firmly.

Brooklyn was by her side holding her hand, giving it a gentle and reassuring squeeze. "Tira…" he began, but whatever the dark red gargoyle was about to say was lost to a large ripping noise with shouting and lights coming from the castle. "What the…" Broadway started. In a flash of warm light they were suddenly standing inside the castle, the 'entertaining' area where Xanatos met people who came up from the ground floor of his skyscraper. There was an agitated Puck, in his elf form, yelling at an impassive and vaguely bored looking fairy king.

"Grandfather!" Tira shouted and ran over to the other fairies. Oberon's face lit up and he happily hugged the small girl. Tatiana was standing at ease, glaring at Puck, next to her husband. With a shock Tira realized that her suddenly open arms were to embrace the younger girl. "I will not bite, child," the Queen of the fairies said quietly. The tone in her voice held an edge of sadness and regret in her voice. Tira hesitatingly hugged her grandmother, arching an eyebrow at her calm Grandfather's expression and the one of rage etched deeply into the face of her father.

Puck's hair was floating with energy and small blue sparks were flying in and out of his hair. Tatiana took hold of her granddaughter's shoulders and gently held her at arm's length. Tears glittered in her eyes, "Child I am so sorry." Tira felt a sharp pang in her chest, 'What happened?' she was thinking but couldn't form the words. She looked, her expression panicked and frightened to her grandfather. He reached out and took her hands, "We just came back from a trip. A terrible truth was discovered of the situation with your mother's demise." Puck literally growled, pulling his frightened daughter's eyes to him, she had let the glamour slip when she saw her grandparents. The shock of the glimmer of sadness and despair pushed the rage that was threatening to engulf Puck back into the recess of his heart, letting him go and take her up in his arms in a fierce hug. "Don't, Atrianna. Don't hurt." He continued to glare at his 'parents'. "My majesties, will you please stop beating around the bush and just tell her!" At the end of his sentence he was shouting. The gargoyles had drifted closer, but kept their distance from the powerful forces that stood in the 'lounge'. Lexington had perched up on the back of a chair, while Angela and Broadway stood in the back, close to a window. Brooklyn looked lost, even pained, watching his beloved be tortured so. He had no idea what terrible news the royal fairies had brought with them, but he did know it would bring his love nothing but grief.

Oberon cleared his throat, "You both should know that there is a reason your grandmother had the entire clan destroyed in Ireland," another growl ensued from Puck earning him a tired glare from Oberon, "but we recently discovered a loss of reasoning and memory with Tatiana. Traveling through time we were able to discover what caused this anomaly. Apparently a wizard, black magic and demonic in nature and practice, put a spell on Tatiana. He knew how to summon us, what spells would work." A growl of his own had started to seep into the deep voice of the fairy king. "Apparently with the use of iron and black magic, he was able to bind me and then lay within my mind a deep and complicated spell," Tatiana continued for her husband, "he was part of the village and the new cult that had started to rise in power. They wanted to not only eradicate the protection of those whom they wanted to manipulate but also the power behind both the humans, and the gargoyle protectors, the druids." Puck sucked in a breath through his teeth, "With the druid blood they had formed a bond with human and gargoyle. They couldn't do what they had without magic. I should have…" "Stop, father, please," Tira said meekly. "Don't do this to yourself and just let them finish." Puck nodded and gently stroked the glittering hair of his daughter.

Oberon cleared his throat, obviously trying to suppress emotions, "The magic was skilled and had spread through the village into those who were not of druid blood, but they could not affect those with druid blood. It was too purely connected to the earth, their bond and blood. So to do this they had to find a source they COULD manipulate. Tatiana being his first target, he was successful in his plan." The fairy queen nodded and tears had spilled down her cheeks, "The spell was still there, still dormant in my heart until tonight. The hatred for druids and combining the blood between two species using that specific bond...that is why I had the gargoyles destroyed, to help him in his means to take over and establish control. The cult was attempting to establish control such as this in other places but many times other powers interfered and they did not have such a strong connection to the fey as did this specific wizard." Tira frowned, "Warlock. Wizards don't do that. It was a demonic Warlock. A being of hatred and black power, a warlock would be what they are called. Is he still alive?" Her grandparents shook their heads, "The humans destroyed him, the new religion casting him in his obvious role as a dabbler in pagan black magic, burning him at a steak as was their tradition." Oberon was the one to speak as Tatiana's grief silenced her. The tears were being quickly swiped away, "When," she choked the words out slowly, "my husband and I first divorced was right after this horrible incident. Though I had grown to hate druids I still had the ability to fall in love with humans. It was the only thing to stop the spell from fully engulfing me." Oberon put an arm over his wife's shoulder comfortingly, "There is nothing we can do now. The spell was eradicated. However, fate has spun its dire web and we cannot change what occurred. We give our deepest condolences my dear grandchild." His eyes rested on Puck as if expecting a burst of outrage.

Tira's had felt her father slowly hunch down and bury his face in her hair. She could feel the moisture of his tears slide down her shoulder, dampening her shirt. She held onto him as if he was her lifeline to this world and vice versa, his grip on her shoulders was hard but desperate. Her eyes glanced to her winged family, her beloved's eyes so full of despair, and each face so sad, that she felt as if she had to smile and show she was not broken. She found it was easier to smile for them and turned to her grandparents, letting go of the smile and letting the pain fill her face. "Despite the reasoning, your hand is still tainted grandma Tati. I'm sorry to say you had to be put through this emotional torture, but I believe other hearts are still shattered and barely kept together. I believe it is best that you return to your abode and rest your own heart as we slowly put ours back together."

She glanced at her grandfather's face quickly, "I will keep you both updated on the current issues concerning this topic. Though I do believe that what happened will give us insight on this, for which I thank you for promptly coming to give us the news." The formality was appreciated by her grandfather, Tira knew, but her grandmother's experience with humans made her look at Tira with hurt eyes. Tira reached out to the fairy queen and squeezed the hand she received, nodding faintly, so as not to disturb her emotionally stricken father. Tatiana nodded, understanding and turned back to her husband, who with a flourish of his arm opened a portal to their home. They stepped through without a second glance back and as the light faded and went out Tira felt her father's legs give and held tightly to his lithe form.

"Father," she whispered. A silent sob shook through him and she knew he was trying to not let the memories engulf him. She slowly lowered him to the ground and held him tightly to her. Without realizing she had let her emotions run full with power, changing her appearance and clothing to suit the power that had surrounded her. Her features were tilted and her ears large and pointed, clothing match her father's more closely than the casual clothes she had been in all day. Her hair had lightening and the purple faded into the pale white hair that looked as if it could have been blonde in highlights but was so pale as to be called white. It matched her father's hair as did her eye shape and delicate features.

"Tira," Brooklyn started. She glanced up and frowned at the horrified expression on his face. She realized suddenly that all the gargoyles in the room had the same frozen horror etched into their expression and were looking in the same direction. She slowly turned, thinking it was ridiculously similar to a cheesy horror film, catching sight of what had frozen them to where they sat. Margie was standing just inside the lounge and was staring at Tira and her father cradled in her lap.

"What happened? Are you all right?" The older woman asked tentatively, she was eyeing Tira carefully and the legs of someone cradled in the younger girl's grasp. Tira tried to keep her eyes lowered but there was a glow of magic coming from Margie. She glanced up quickly trying not to let the other woman see her eyes and saw that the pendant on Margie's jacket was giving off a faint glow. So were her eyes, usually the same chocolate brown as her brothers were now silver and violet swirls, churning around her iris in a dizzying affect? 'Maybe that's just me,' Tira thought idly, 'Didn't she pass out last time?' Margie stepped closer. Tira knew that her face was familiar and the other woman recognized her as the girl she had met before, but she never knew her daughter as anything other than the light gray gargoyle babe. The eye had been the only thing that had triggered a response. However, her father, his face and voice, though not in the same elegance as when they were together were still similar enough to have an impact on Margie's psyche. Tira was stuck and didn't know what to do. Silently she decided to weave a spell of sleep and cast it quickly on Margie, but the spell bounced off and faded as if it hit a barrier.

Tira's eyes widened, "No," was all she could say as the woman stepped closer and peered down at the figure in Tira's lap. The soft glow grew brighter as Margie's eyes widened. The colors flashed and soon the woman's legs had given out, her eyes rolling in the back of her head, all light dimmed and died. Puck's eyes had been squeezed shut through this all but the look of agony had to have been enough to wrench something out of Margie's reincarnated subconscious. Quickly, before the woman hit the ground Tira lashed out a spell of levitation and let the woman slowly float the floor. "Crap," was all she could say before a wave of grief hit her so hard she crumpled over her shaking father, their tears and hair mixing together.


	8. Chapter 8

Author Note--

Sorry it is a bit sappy. I just couldn't write non sappy stuff right now xD Enjoy!!

The thoughts, more like memories, that had filled Margie's mind before she lost consciousness had been of something she never had seen before outside her deep slumbering dreams. The pain had been staggering, the horror of people and gargoyles being destroyed were vivid and loud, but the thing that stood out the most was the reaching figure of a man, elegant in everything he was. He was shouting a name and trying to get to her. It was this face that echoed in her mind as she spied the crumpled man in the young girl's lap. After that, the images flashed by, the voice of the man shouting in her head a name that wasn't hers, but the pain in both faces were the same. A deep sense of loss and despair, etched into the delicate features of both who seemed to be the same but were not. 'This is so weird', were the thoughts that passed in Margie's head before unconsciousness took her mind and only fuzzy memories of a baby's laughter came from the darkness.

--

"Tira," Brooklyn crouched down and gently touched the pale hair of his love. She shook her head and haunched her shoulders in more, "Find everyone, Goliath, David, everyone." She wouldn't say anything else and just continued to cry with her father, letting themselves fall into a whirling pool of anguish, if just for a moment more.

Angela and Broadway opened and jumped out of the window they were by while Lexington grabbed the phone off the desk in the room, talking quietly but urgently into the phone. Brooklyn never left Tira's side, but avoided touching her more than petting her hair gently. Puck's tears had stopped and he was drifting on sleep as he relished in the closeness and comforting presence of his daughter. A mix of himself and his treasured Maria, the best and most comforting presence he could ask for at a time like that. Whenever Tira tried to say something to him his only reply would be a barely audible, "I'm sorry". He started to say this over and over until sleep finally took his broken heart and mind and made him rest.

"It's too much for him," Tira whispered. "He's dealt with this loss for too long, the betrayal was too much. Now knowing it was for nothing but a ridiculous means to a black end. It's too much..." She stifled a sob and bit her lip. "I don't know what I'm supposed to do," she choked out, tears spilling over as she looked up to Brooklyn. The gargoyle could feel pricks in his own eyes in response to seeing her so torn up. "I don't know either, Tira. What I do know is that we need to get Puck out of here." He gently squeezed his love's shoulder, "When Xanatos gets here he isn't going to be quiet about all this and I'm not sure your dad is going to be able to handle it." Tira's eyes widened as she imagined the scene, absently nodding and working a spell of transportation. She gently wrapped the spell around her father and let it take him to bed. "He'll be okay for now, he's too deeply asleep. Now we have to figure out what to do about her." Tira motioned to the older woman just a foot away.

Brooklyn shook his head, "Goliath will be here soon. He's had more experience in this stuff than any of us." Lexington had finished the calls and was sitting close to Tira on her other side. He reached out and gently touched the young girl's arm. She turned and instantly wrapped her arms around the younger gargoyle, hugging him tightly. "Thanks for helping Lex," she said quietly. Brooklyn hugged them both before moving to the window, motioning for Lex to sit in a chair with Tira, then jumped out to see if the others were close. Lex picked up Tira gently and sat her with him in a plush arm chair.

The bond between the smaller gargoyle and the young girl had formed as brother and sister not long after she had joined the clan and Elisa. Hugging her for comfort was second nature for him now, not only for his own comfort but hers as well. The woman named Margie started to stir, or so he thought. The glow from the pendant started up again and grew brighter, slowly building a bubble around her and then lifting her up a good three feet into the air. "T-Tira?" Lex whispered. The girl looked at Lex's face and then at the light that was shining out. "What in the..." She started, before the light grew so bright that both gargoyle and young mixed elf girl had to cover their eyes. Images were flashing around, a lifetime of challenge, magic and love flitted by both Lexington and Tira. "It's like a hologram," the small gargoyle said quietly. Tira nodded absently while she let her hand pass through a tree near her. There was another figure standing nearby. Margie was watching all of this, Tira realized, like one would watch a movie. "This is my mother's life," the young girl said as she recognized her father's face a few times. "But how-" "It is to help us blend together," a voice said from behind her. Tira and Lex both jumped and stood, turning to face whoever was behind them. Tira's heart felt as if it had stopped for a moment as she recognized the darker gray of her mother's face, the silver of her eyes, before her heart seemed to double in pace.

"M-mother?" The dark gray gargoyle smiled gently and nodded. "Margie is a life I was living as someone else. I once lived as your mother as well. But now, we need to be one. It will take a bit of magic but that is why the pendant found her. To help this blend of consciousness and lives, as well as heart and blood." A memory flashed in Tira's head, of a star etched into the wood of the cradle that held her suspended in time before the homeless woman of druid decent had freed her. "It's your old pendant. You attached your bodily essence to it, didn't you?" Tira asked quietly. Lex was looking to Tira, Maria, and then Margie with wide eye wonder. "But what about the castle and the others? What will happen when they walk into a room filled with light?!" Maria smiled, "It is good you worry for your loved ones, my young friend. They will be all right. There is but a large bubble of light right now, the only reason you were brought along was because of how close you were to Atrianna." Maria gave her daughter a half hearted hard look, "I will not call you Tira, my love. Your name is always Atrianna. It is what I gave you and it is what I will call you." Tira's heart slowed down, the longing of this all to be true bruising her heart and mind. "This can't be happening," she said. Shaking her head Tira slowly lowered herself down to sit on her knees, holding her head as the images were slowly blurring and swirling around her more and more. "This isn't happening," she said to no one in particular. Lex reached down and hugged his friend. "You're hurting her," he said accusingly to Maria. The older woman shook her head, "No, young one. I am merely trying to give her back the mother she never got to really have." Tira's head snapped up, "I HAD A MOTHER!" Her mind reeled with the contradicting waves of emotions while the pain in her chest only increased. "SHE WAS A GOOD MOTHER AND TAUGHT ME SO MUCH! SHE LOVED ME AND I LOVE HER!"

Memories of Tira's own suddenly surfaced with the magic of the other memories and these danced about in front of Maria, flashing the happy and unhappy moments of Tira's life with her adopted mother. "She did well," Maria said sadly. "You have no idea how much I wanted to be the one to live with you, to watch you grow. You're father would have..." She stopped as images were brought up from Tira's memories of her father. A happy smile pulled at Maria's lips as she reached out at one of these images. "My love..." the older woman whispered. Margie had walked up and touched Tira's shoulder gently. Tira started and looked up at the other woman. "She is your mother. They both are. There is no shame or sadness that should be felt. I will give you back one of them, but I'm so sorry for the loss of the other. I cannot reverse it." Tira nodded, the pain easing in her chest. 'I still get upset over that', Tira thought sadly. Lexington noticed the change and hugged Tira tightly to him, "It's going to be okay." He tried to reassure her, silently wishing Brooklyn or Goliath were there.

Margie moved and took hold of Maria's hand. "Together we are more, together we are whole, you were what I was searching for," the human said to gargoyle. "Together we are mother, together we are sister, you are what I am as I am what you are, we shall face the unknown as one," the gargoyle replied. The magic in the air surged and all memories faded into darkness as the two women stepped into each other. Tira grabbed Lex's face and buried her own in her arm against him, "Don't look!" She shouted. The blinding light was visible even behind their closed and covered eyes, leaving dots of color behind as they blinked into the crowded room. Goliath and the other gargoyles were standing not far from the window, while Bronx stood with David and Fox. Tira glanced at each face, lingering on Brooklyn's for a moment more than the others, wishing him to come to her. Brooklyn didn't move, as neither did anyone else. The glow that covered the body of Margie did not lessen or reveal any features other than a vague outline of a human form, horizontally floating.

"Is that my sister?" David asked. Tira nodded and stood up, "She is your sister AND my mother now." Many eyes grew wide at this news. "She knows?" Elisa asked. Tira nodded absently, barely registering that Brooklyn had moved over to her and grabbed her hand up in his own. Lex trotted to the other gargoyles and started to explain what they had witnessed inside the glowing bubble before they had appeared. David and Fox went over to hear the details, while Tira and Brooklyn stayed by the floating and glowing figure. "Is she okay?" Brooklyn asked Tira. The girl nodded, "She'll be awake soon enough. The charm has to finish the physical part of the bond before they can wake up fully." "What does THAT mean?" David asked her. She glanced at his worried face. "Your sister is my mother. They are the same people. The memories are still there from her life as your sister, just now she has the memories of my mother as well. The only thing that needs to be done is to have the physical DNA of my mother blended with your sister's body. So they can be whole." David was frowning, obviously unhappy about this. Fox touched his arm, "There's nothing you can do. It's already in motion David. At least she will still be Margie." David nodded and crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on the floating figure.

"Now the only question is how are we going to deal with Puck?" Goliath said. Elisa shook her head, "There really is no way of knowing what we should do exactly, until we've talking to Margie...or, well, Tira's mom." Elisa frowned, "This isn't going to be easy." Hudson chuckled and started over to a chair, sitting down and petting Bronx, who had trotted over to sit by the older gargoyle's side. Tira glanced back and moved to sit at the older gargoyle's feet, gently scratching Bronx's chin. "My mother, David's sister, the same, different, it is quite complicated, but when Lex and I were in there it...was just easier to see them and everything they were and are." Tira was frowning so hard there was a deep line between her fair brows. "I just hope my father doesn't wake up with the feeling of so much magick in one place." Brooklyn went to Tira and sat next to her, farther from Hudson and glanced at his clan. "There's never peace in this place," he muttered. Hudson was stroking Tira's head gently now, as Bronx had laid down with a big yawn. "Things will work themselves out, lass, don't worry too much." Tira glanced up at the white haired gargoyle and gave a small smile, "Thanks." Goliath glanced about to the other people in the room, "Lexington you should go tend to Alex until things sort themselves out." Lex glanced at his leader and nodded, moving to the window and taking off to Alex's room. Angela glanced and Broadway, "Fox, can we borrow a portable phone from you? Someone should be on patrol but we need to stay in contact in case of emergencies." Fox nodded and dug in a pocket, tossing a cell phone to Angela, "Here, we'll call if anything happens." Angela nodded and both her and Broadway started towards the window as well. Elisa crossed her arms, "Well, you don't have Owen for a while, Xanatos. What are you going to do without your right hand man?" Fox glanced at the other woman and sighed. "She's right, we should get back to work and check Owen's schedules and computer." David arched a brow, "I don't..." Fox looked to her husband and then the glowing figure before nodding and leaving without him. "I've got it," she said over her shoulder.

Tira looked to Goliath and Elisa, "What should I do?" Goliath shook his head, "Nothing until she's awake. Try to stay calm till then." Hudson pulled himself to his feet, "While you all wait an' fret over this whole thing, I'm going t'a get some food up 'ere and into this bit o' a thing. When was d'eh last time ya ate lass?" Tira frowned and shook her head. Brooklyn shrugged when Hudson turned to him, "I can't remember exactly. I think it was a hot dog yesterday." Hudson sighed, "Usually Broadway cooks, but I am not as skilled. Elisa, would ya mind help'n me with find'n 'take out'?" Elisa smiled and nodded following the older gargoyle and gargoyle dog out of the room.

Tira tried to take comfort in the normal acts of getting food and going on patrol, but the slow lack of those she loved pulled at her comfort and security. There wasn't a change in the magick that surrounded her mother, her father was deep in slumber in his room, while each of her ties to the others were pulled at with stress her emotions were causing her to feel. She was feeling smothered by the stress and the pain in her chest started up again. "I hate this," David said and started pacing in a farther part of the room, muttering under his breath. Slowly, Tira started to realize that the tie she had to the pacing man was weighed the most. But at the same time the tie seemed to be stronger. 'Bet it's because we have a common connection now,' she thought idly. Brooklyn squeezed her tightly to him, as if sensing her discomfort. "I'm okay," she said quietly to him. "I'm not," he said, "I can feel the tension rolling off you and it's driving me insane that I can't help." She patted his hands, "You are by staying close." Goliath had stepped closer to them, "The comfort of a loved one being present is stronger than a lot of things you could do Brooklyn, don't count it short." Tira nodded and gave the two gargoyles a brave smile before returning her gaze to the glowing figure.

Minutes passed, soon hours had gone by, when there was any change in the magickal force surrounding the floating woman. Tira felt the surge of magick just before there was a ripple in the glow around the floating woman, suddenly wings and a tail grew out of her and the features became more detailed. Tira blinked back tears, trying to not be happy that the first form she had to see was her mother's. "She's about to wake up," she whispered. Elisa and Hudson had returned with food a half hour before, while Angela and Broadway were still out patrolling, with Lex reading in Alex's room. Fox had come back with her laptop and another cell phone, giving David things to fill out and sign to keep him pre occupied. All those present froze at the words Tira spoke and looked up at the figure. Brooklyn had never let go of Tira and didn't bother to look with the others, his eyes were only for the changes he spotted in his love's face and bodily tension. He had noticed that with Elisa and Hudson's return with Bronx had eased a bit of the tension in her shoulders. Fox had taken off a large edge, though he could image most of that was just from easing Xanatos' stress, thus the stress that it was causing Tira. 'She feels too much sometimes,' he thought sadly before glancing at the figure.

"She's turning into a gargoyle," David said, half accusingly. Tira nodded, "Like me she will be more than just human now." David glanced at the young girl and the tightness eased from his shoulders, "As long as she is still Margie in there then I don't care what she is." Tira gave a crooked smile, "Good. She's going to need that kind of support." She felt her father stirring from his sleep at the feeling of the magick, she silently urged him to fall back into slumber. He rolled and tucked himself into a ball and fell back asleep, letting Tira let out the breath she had been holding in a soft sigh. Brooklyn frowned at the worry that had been on her face, suddenly gone with relief. "What was that Tira?" He asked her quietly. She leaned into his shoulder and laid her head against his neck, "Just checking to make sure my father wasn't awake. He turned over in his sleep is all." Brooklyn too her hand in one of his and tried to pull her closer, but she was already pressed up against him, so he ended up just squeezing her. Tira closed her eyes and let herself drift for a moment, 'I hope she's okay when she wakes up'. 'I am fine, my daughter,' a voice whispered in her mind. Tira jumped and blinked, gazing at the unchanging figure floating before her. The woman was still formed as a gargoyle but was glowing the same as before.

"Mother?" Tira asked allowed. 'Yes, tell David to stop fussing, my dear. I can feel the stress is hurting your heart,' the other woman's voice said in Tira's head. Tira glanced at David, whose eyes were fixed on her. "She said to stop stressing out," Tira said. She was forcing herself to be calm, to squash any excitement or fear from her body and mind. 'You've grown to have such strong self control. I am so proud of you,' the voice said. 'Thank you,' Tira said back silently putting more effort into appearing surreal and calm. "She's almost awake. Are the others back yet?" Goliath glanced up at the window, "Not yet. There's still night left enough for them to patrol more." Elisa pulled out her own cell phone and handed it to Fox, "Call them and tell them she's changed and about to wake up." Fox gave a half hearted glare for being 'ordered' to do something but called the cell phone Angela had anyway.

While Fox talked to Angela, updating her on things, Tira could feel the awareness of her mother strengthen and the magick from the barrier started to subside. 'Not a barrier, my child, but a bubble. Something like a womb to help me regenerate things that were once lost.' "Like your gargoyle DNA," Tira said quietly. Brooklyn hated to only hear one half of the conversation going on in his love's head. 'I approve of your protectiveness towards my daughter, young gargoyle. I look forward to meeting you soon,' a voice whispered into his head. Brooklyn's eyes grew wide and he held Tira closer to him. "She's talking to me," he said quietly. Tira glanced to Brooklyn and couldn't stop the small laugh that came out at his horrified expression. "Mother, you shouldn't talk to the others like that, it frightens them." David took a step forward, "Margie?" Tira shook her head, "She won't talk to you if I say not to. And trust me it's spooky." David frowned but nodded and folded his arms across his chest again, "Is she almost awake?" Tira nodded and stood up, Brooklyn following her move. 'Will you help me wake child?' Tira smiled solemnly, "Of course, Mother." 'David gets irritated every time you call me that. We must find a way to fix that.' Tira nodded, "Yes. But he can be quite obstinate and I don't know how to handle these kinds of personal things with him quite yet." 'Myself as his sister couldn't really ever figure that out either, however with more to my personality I may be able to now.' "I wouldn't push it," Tira said with a crooked smile. "Would you stop that?" David asked, "Not only is it disturbing but I don't like not knowing what is all being said." Tira nodded, "Told ya." Her mother's tinkling laughter echoed in her head.

Tira pushed at Brooklyn's chest with one of her hands, "Stay here," then moved to her mother's side. "What do I do?" 'Gently touch my hand,' Tira moved her hand to hover just above her mother's skin before wrapping her hand around the firm talons. Where she touched the glow receded, revealing dark gray skin beneath. 'Now gently pull me to a standing position. You can put your other hand on my back to help.' Tira did as she was told, the places where the glow was gone was spreading now and as it receded from Maria's body she slowly was lowered to stand on her own feet. Tira held her mother's hand, receiving a gentle squeeze for comfort. David took a step closer, "Margie." The glow hadn't faded from the woman's face yet, but she still turned towards the voice. 'Tell him to wait,' Maria told Tira who conveyed this back to David. Then Maria moved her head to look down at her daughter, as the rest of the glow finally disappeared all the way.

"My daughter," Maria said with all the warmth Tira had known from her own adopted mother and felt her heart ache with love and sadness at the same time. The hand she had been holding moved up to touch her cheek gently, "I know you miss your other mother, Tira. Do not feel bad for feeling sad when you think of her. From the memories I saw, her death was not something to be taken lightly." Tira frowned, "Neither was yours." Maria smiled and nodded. "True," then Maria turned to David. "I am still your sister David. I just have a bit more baggage to already hefty load I was toting around." The gargoyle winked and David visibly relaxed, "Good. I think pops would kill me if he found out you weren't you anymore."Maria rolled her eyes, "Me being more doesn't mean I stop existing."

With a flourish of her hand Maria willed her shape to change back into that of Margie. "Call me Marie for now on," she said to David. "Think of it as a compromise of two lifetimes being put together with two different names." Tira looked into the silver and violet eyes of the other woman and grinned, then wrapped her arms around her with a hearty squeeze. 'I got her back,' she thought. 'She isn't the face I saw every day but she is the voice I heard in my dreams. Even though the face is different, those are the eyes that I would see in my fondest dreams.' Marie hugged her daughter tightly and reveled in the smells and touches she had lost so long ago. David smiled and walked to the door. "Now that I know you are okay I'm going to go back to work. Call me if anything else happens." Marie nodded and smiled at Fox who quickly followed David out of the room. "I'll send Lex down," Fox said before she shut the door smiling at the reunited mother and daughter.


	9. Chapter 9

"Your eyes are different," Brooklyn commented casually to the new Margie. The older woman nodded and glanced at the door David Xanatos had just left through before taking a step back from her daughter to let her form take on that of a gargoyle again.

Her skin darkened and her clothing glowed before turning into a pale lavender chiffon dress that allowed for the spikes that regularly protruded from her gargoyle elbows and knees. Instead of staying on a chain, the pendant now acted as a kind of broach for the bosom of her dress. The high pointed bridges to her eyebrows had a faint glow behind and between as a headband with a small gem appeared. Dark gray skin, the color of fresh ash in a fire, covering wings with a deep royal purple that accented her hair delicately, was highlighting her silver and violet swirled eyes.

"I must say that I prefer the freedom this form gives me," Marie said softly while flexing her wings a little before settling them on her shoulders. Tira did a little twirl and let her own gargoyle shape out, the lighter colors mimicking her mother's.

"As long as you don't change your eyes I don't care what form you take. Heck," Tira said with a small smile, "you could be a toad and I wouldn't care." Marie laughed and hugged her daughter, "I feel the same for you my child." Tira happily hugged her mother before turning to the other gargoyles, "Did you get to meet everyone yet?" Marie shook her head and was laughing as her daughter pulled her over to properly introduce each of the clan members. Brooklyn watched, standing back with Elisa, unable to stop smiling at the happiness he saw in Tira.

"It's a good thing this all happened at once," Elisa said softly, gaining Brooklyn's attention. "It's sometimes just easier to handle when you're constantly going with a flow." Brooklyn nodded absent mindedly. "We just have to figure out a way to tell Puck before the sun sets. I think everyone would be better off if the clan were awake when that happened." Elisa mulled over that, thinking of ways to help the elf face something so harsh. "Too bad Tira can't just use her magick…" Brooklyn's head snapped up.

You could almost see the light bulb come on inside his head. "Oh no, what did I say?" He chuckled and hopped over to Tira, taking her hand and pulling her back a bit, "I have an idea. I have to talk to you about it." Tira blinked, confused, but nodded and followed him towards the door.

Marie glanced back but only smiled at the sight of the two retreating. Elisa came up and shook Marie's hand, "Nice to meet you, again. I think we all better get prepared, they're cooking up plots back there." "What do you mean?" Lex asked, moving to get a better look of the couple talking quietly to themselves just outside the door. "I'm pretty sure I just gave Brooklyn a horrible idea on how to help…um," Elisa stopped and glanced at Marie. "Well, how to do deal with Owen." She opted using the elf's fake name to save Marie any distress. The dark gray gargoyle turned with a slight frown, "Why would we have to deal with Owen? From what I hear he takes everything in fairly good stride." "Well he does! He's good to Xanatos, but he's a bit different and I think you'd best hear most of this from Tira," Angela interjected quickly. Broadway nodded and felt a pang of worry for everyone, remembering the temper the elf had, "Just hope he doesn't flip out and destroy anything." Angela wacked her love's shoulder, "Broadway! Shoosh!" "I didn't SAY anything though!"

Lex shook his head and started off towards the returning couple, "Tira! What's up!?" The lighter gray gargoyle stopped and made a face, waving at her body willing her elf form to come out, "Time to face the music I guess. Best way to do this I assume is to make it all seem like a dream…"

With a glance at Brooklyn who nodded his head she motioned for her mother to take her hand. "Come with me mom. There's unfinished business we have to take care of." A small smile curled the older gargoyle's lips, "I have to deal with my ghosts then huh?" Tira nodded and firmly took her mother's hand in hers, noticing the vague sadness around the older woman's eyes as she gazed at her daughter.

"Do you remember what made you start to change?" Marie frowned and shook her head, "Not really. I remember your face and when you came in just before everything started to fully merge." Tira sighed, "You don't remember who was with me?" Marie glanced at Lex, "Yes, I do." Tira shook her head, "Not him, the one in my lap. Just before you fainted." Marie's frown deepened. "Blonde," Marie said softly, "Someone with hair like yours."

She touched Tira's pale hair gently. Tira nodded, "I'll take you with me."

With a smile and a flourish of her arm the whole room drifted out of focus and you could see the different movements of figures going by, the last few hours going by like a tape on rewind.

Tira jerked her hand and everything stopped with Margie standing as herself, gazing at the figure lying on Tira's lap. Marie stepped close to her other self and peeked over, mimicking the movements a little.

"I remember…OH!" She gasped as she found the face of the person lying on her daughter's lap.  
"Puck!" Marie took a step closer before taking a few steps back and looking to her daughter in awe.

"You found him? After all this you two found each other?" Tira nodded and moved her hand again.

This time things flew by in a blur, Brooklyn barely catching hold of the image of Oberon and Tatiana before Tira let the image go again. This time things were moving and people were talking.

"They can't see us," Goliath said, more as a statement than a question.

"It's merely memories," Tira said. Marie listened while Oberon and Tatiana explained what they had before, a shadow passing over her features as older memories surfaced in her mind. She was shaking her head sadly as the King and Queen took their leave and Tira collapsed with her father in her arms.

"What a ridiculous reason, what a blatant disregard for life. Warlocks are despicable," was all Marie could seem to muster out of her shell shocked mind. "I knew they were turning on us, but I didn't know why. I tried to tell Puck." Again Marie shook her head. Tira frowned, "You see things from the future sometimes don't you?"

Marie nodded and glanced at her daughter, "Do you?"

Tira shrugged, "I have intuition sometimes. Even strong déjà vu senses but never full on visions really."

Marie nodded, "That was how mine was until my mother unlocked it for me. Just before she died." Marie reached out and touched her daughter's brow gently.

A bright symbol of a pentacle appeared on Tira's forehead before fading, gently rustling her hair. "You'll start to get stronger in your intuition before visions start to happen." Tira nodded and rubbed her head.

Brooklyn touched his love's arm, "Should we move to your dad's room?" Tira shook her head and motioned to the room again; causing things to slowly turn darker, images of strange things went by before they found Puck standing on a lake shore.

"Dad," Tira said softly. Puck glanced over and smiled briefly, "You never come here, how strange." Tira blinked at the odd statement. "What?"

Brooklyn took her hand, "We're at the lake he showed us before." Tira's eyes widened as she took in the scene that was playing in front of her now. Marie moved closer to the older image of her and Puck from Puck's memory. "This is quite strange. Why are you remembering this?" Puck frowned, "Maria." She smiled and reached out a hand to him, he took it and frowned deeper. "You should know. You tried to tell me the first time you sensed an upheaval here. It was years before things actually played out but, still you felt it even then."

Puck's eyes had watered up and he was watching the memory of Maria now, talking calmly to an old Puck. He turned back to the Maria who held his hand, "You never come to my dreams anymore. Since the last couple centuries I never see you." She nodded, "I know my love. I moved on to be another. I thought I told you." He smiled, "Yes you did. You said to visit the humans and find someone interesting." Marie nodded again and squeezed his hand, "You did. You found Xanatos and this large group of gargoyles."

With a gesture she took in the clan and Elisa who stood back watching and looking at their surroundings. Puck frowned, "Strange."

Then his eyes landed more firmly on Tira who smiled sheepishly and gave a half hearted wave, "Hey there."

Things started to fade out and were replaced by an unsettling darkness. "Atrianna…You can't be here! You can't be here!!" Puck looked to Marie as if for help, "She can't be here too!"

Tira frowned and rushed to her father who was now gripping his head and yelling. She grabbed him up and shook him, "Stop! Dad! It's okay!" With a pop they were suddenly standing in a large bedroom, Tira was kneeling on a small bed shaking her father. "Wake up!" Puck blinked up at her past tears, "Tira. You can't be dead. You're all I have left." Tira shook her head violently, her pale elf hair bouncing about her face. "I'm not! I just thought your dreams would be easier to talk to you through!" A sigh escaped the older elf and he hugged Tira tightly to him.

"Good," he whispered. "Your mother only ever visited me after she died." Tira glanced at her mom, "Really?" The darker gargoyle nodded and she felt her father nod too.

Marie climbed up onto the bed and gently wrapped her arms around her daughter and husband, resting her cheek on Tira's head. "It's okay," she murmured to Puck's fearful gaze. "You're not dreaming anymore."Puck frowned, "Great. I'm hallucinating now?" Tira smiled, "No. She's back." Puck glanced down and then his eyes got huge. He jumped back and stood on the bed, "You can't change the past Tira!" With a groan Tira flopped back on the bed, "I'm starting to think traumatizing him would have been EASIER." Brooklyn chuckled and took her up in his arms, hugging her tightly.

Elisa stepped forward, Goliath right behind her, "Listen, Puck, the thing is that Margie…" with the mention of David's sister's name Marie motioned to herself, allowing a small glow to engulf her and change her back to Margie, leaving the eyes. "Margie," Elisa continued, "Was really Maria reincarnated. Margie found the pendant Maria left behind which apparently had a spell on it to change her back to Maria when she found Tira."

Goliath put a hand on Elisa's shoulder, "The pendant activated when she saw you and her together earlier. She's finished transforming and your daughter thought introducing her through dreams would be easier." Marie motioned again to herself and changed back into a gargoyle, "Which if she had said something a bit more detailed about her 'plan' I would have told her that wouldn't be okay because you dreamt of me often after I died."

Puck sat on air, "This is weird, but yet so off of what is usually weird for us that I am just having a hard time coming to grips with it." Tira sighed, her hair falling in her face, hiding her expression. She slowly pulled away from Brooklyn, stepped up on the bed then stepped up in the air and walked to her father. Puck tilted his head to the side and leaned forward, "Tira?" Without warning Tira slapped her father very hard across the left side of his face.

Hair floated as power washed out of Tira, her eyes were glowing a pale white as she snapped, "Get over yourself!" at her fairy father. Puck landed on the bed, massaging her cheek with a startled expression plastered on his face. Marie crossed her arms, "Not exactly the approach I'd choose, but effective." Puck glanced at Marie horror struck then back to Tira only to repeat that a couple times.

"What the heck!?"

That was all he could manage to say.

Tira propped her hands on her hips in small fists, "What do you mean!? I'm sitting here trying to tell you that my mom's back! That she's not DEAD anymore! And you're acting like I'm a darn hallucination! What do you expect!? I'm drained from all the crap that's been going on! Just accept it so you can start dealing with the weirdness of it already!"

She had moved closer with every word till she was screaming in his face.

Angela idly leaned closer to a shocked Broadway and Lexington, "This is what happens when you push girls too far."

Brooklyn snorted and leaned against the bed, "Nah. This is what happens when you annoy Tira." The sounds of her friends and loved ones made Tira slowly come back to herself. She blinked silver and violet eyes at her father before moving off the bed to stand next to Brooklyn. "I'm taking the clan elsewhere. Can you handle him mom?"

Marie nodded, having sat at the edge of the bed during her daughter's rant.

"It's almost sun rise anyway," the darker gargoyle said calmly.

Tira snapped her fingers and with a whirl of wind the clan found themselves outside on the terrace they'd woken up from.

"It's all ready been that long huh?" Broadway said between yawns. Angela nodded, "At least patrol was quiet. I doubt everyone could deal with a bad patrol AND this stuff." Lex went to Tira and hugged her, "It was awesome to see you slap him like that! He really was being stubborn." Tira giggled and hugged the smaller gargoyle. Broadway came over and picked them both up in a tight hug. "Gah!" The smaller two gasped together as they were squeezed. "Tonight's been fun but I'm excited to see what'll happen tomorrow night!" Angela laughed and took hold of Tira's hands, pulling her gently out of Broadway's grasp. "Thank you for the clothes, again, Tira." Tira just smiled and hugged her friend.

Broadway and Lexington were standing facing east towards where the sun was soon to rise. Angela jumped up next to them, releasing Tira to Hudson.

"Ye did well Lass," Hudson said proudly before hugging the small elf girl as well. Bronx jumped up and licked her face before following the older gargoyle to another post.

Goliath received a kiss on the cheek from Elisa before moving to Tira, "Thank you." Tira grinned at him, "Anytime."

Elisa, Tira and Brooklyn moved back and watched as the sun rose and turned their family to stone.

Tira glanced at Brooklyn and saw a gentle glimmer as his gargoyle features faded gently to human. 'That's more like it,' she thought happily.

Elisa yawned, "Well I'm off to bed kids! See you later!" Tira flicked a hand at Elisa and sent her home magically before pulling herself and Brooklyn back to their room.

"Sleeeeeeeeep," Brooklyn said happily as he landed face down on the pillow.

Tira giggled and scooted up close to him and let him tuck her close before pulling the covers up.

"Thank you, Brooklyn."

"For what?" She smiled into his chest, "For following me through all this."

He kissed the top of her head, "Part of why I'm here Tira. We're supposed to be there for each other."

She nodded sleepily and snuggled closer to him.

"Thanks all the same," she muttered and let sleep take her.

Brooklyn fell asleep to the sound of her soft snoring breaths.


	10. Chapter 10

HEY GUYS!

I HAVE TO WATCH THE WHOLE SERIES BEFORE I CAN FINISH THIS STORY. I HAVE IDEAS I WANT TO PURSUE BUT I HAVE TO GET MY INFORMATION CORRECT.

SO I HAVE TO BE ON A TEMPORARY HIATUS. HOPEFULLY THIS SUMMER I WILL HAVE TIME TO DO THIS!

WISH ME LUCK!


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